SEthile, Etude #12, Large Bulldog

[sethile]

Wow, Bulldogs are challenging! I've wanted to try one ever since seeing the beautiful dogs of Brad Pohlmann. This one was also partially inspired by an S.Bang Rhodesian. It certainly does not do justice to either, but I'm pleased with it as a first effort at what I found to be a very challenging shape:

This is a large bulldog. Specs in inches: Bowl is 1.95 in diameter by 2.75 tall. Chamber is .75 diameter by 1.8 deep. Overall length is 5.9. The stem is hand cut German Ebonite with an integral tenon.

Well, that's its good side in terms of grain. This is my first from plateaux, and I had high hopes at first, but ended up with some flaws and pits, as well as some terrible fall out and no grain at all in spots. I considered rusticating bellow the lower ring, but I really wanted the challenge of making this shape look nice in a smooth finish.








This pics of the top and bottom are at funny angles and the lighting is strange. The symmetry is not perfect, but it's better than it looks from these shots...

You can't see it too well in this pic, but I got a great new stamp from A&M. Paul did a great job on my stylized SEThile, which you can barley see on the left. I still need to get other stamps made up, but I'm very happy with this one. The custom stamps work much better!

I found this shape extremely challenging and a fantastic learning experience. You get away with nothing with all these lines. Symmetry is a huge issue! This was a great exercise! Hopefully my next one will be better as a result.

Please tear it up folks. I'm here to learn...

[smokindawg]

Having an eye for the dogs and Rhodesians, I must say, that is a beauty and could easily find a place in my "Dog Pack"

There are a lot of angles there and as you said symmetry is a big deal. Considering it's your first attempt at this shape, I think you did a fantastic job.

Send it my way and I'll let you know how it smokes........

[bvartist]

Please tear it up folks. I'm here to learn...

I can't tear it up Scott! :thumb: very nice effort on a very challenging shape.

I do see a couple things I'd change if I were making it, but they are probably more of a personal preferrence than something "wrong". There seems to be a small radius from the top edge of the shank to the bowl junction. And a slight difference in angle across the top of the shank/stem junction. Pic #1 & 2. Could be the pics and lighting as well though.

Anyway, its a very nice pipe! Thanks for showing it!

David

[flix]

Scott,

I love it!!! The asym is kind of charming, in a way. I really think you did a bangup job on one of the most difficult shapes. You'll go far if you make more like this one, imo.

Blessings, bro,

--Michael

[ArtGuy]

I think that is a good job indeed. The thing I might point to is the end of the stem right before the button. A sharper transition right before the button and a little thinner would be an improvement. However, that does not take away from the fact that you successfully tackled a very difficult shape. :thumb:

[Heinz_D]

Very nice job! Rhodesian and Bulldog aren't my favorite shapes, but it's never the less at any time interesting to see someone doing such a good job on any shape! From the eyes of an "pipemaker" I first look at the work as it is and this one is very well done, I think.

Some words to symmetry: In my mind It's very hard to get a shape 100% symetric if you grind the last steps by hand and sandingpaper... I always have trouble with the right side of the bowl/shank junktion (looking from the stem to the bowl). May be an issue of a righthander, but I tried a lot to get my pipes more symetric at this point! Every pipe the same issue and I've always to do a lot of handwork to get it nearly right...

But honestly: 1 mm out of symetry doesn't matter my eyes before measuring - but when I once know that it is out of symetry I nearly get stupid about that... I showed some of my pipes to other smoker and pipemaker too and only Rainer Barbi told me about some very little symetry issues, but he mentioned, that it's nearly not remarkable at all...

So what would you stick on the symetry of this pipe?! O.K. evryone who serious makes pipes would be more annoyed than any customer or outstanding beholder, I think.

Once again: Nice shape, great stem and even with the not perfect grain and some spots, over all it's an very interesting pipe in my mind! I've to think over the shape - perhaps I should try to make an similary shape too...

[sethile]

Thanks to all of you! I really appreciate your encouraging comments and critiques.

Smokingdog, thanks! Glad to know it compares to some of the dogs in your pack. I only recently started to appreciate the shape. Check out Brad Pohlmann's "Colonel" in the Galery under PohlmannPipes. Now that's an amazing dog! Completely changed my perspective on this shape.

Dave, yes, I see the radius issues you mention as well as the slightly different angles. I was fighting those all the way through and started running out of room to fiddle with them. You can also see that the meeting of the angles on the top and bottom of the shank are not perfectly straight. That was a real problem area. I also wanted a more graceful curve at the top where the shank and stem join. I took too much of that area of the stummel on the lathe, and ran out of room early on there.

John, yes, you are exactly right. My stems are behind the rest of my work. The button transition is much too soft, and it's definitely thicker than I'd like there. I was starting to feel some give to it. I think my opening up of the draught hole got a bit sloppy again, and I just ran out of room to get it as thin as I wanted without risking an easy bite through. I sanded through one a few pipes back, and now I'm a bit gun shy there.

Heinz, thanks for your comments my friend. Symmetry or lack of it is an interesting dilemma. When I look at my collection I see many pipes with some symmetry issues, even amongst the better makes. It's something to reflect on. Perhaps we will never be satisfied, but I also think I will continue to strive for it, at least in certain shapes that seem to call out for it like this one.

Thanks Michael! I hope I can keep after these things. I would love to take this to the next level. Only time will tell how far I can go, but I really do hope to spend the time and energy to get very good at this. I have committed to at least try to get as good as I can with what I have to work with.