Etude #14, another Calabash

[sethile]

I revisited a previous shape and style that I like. This time with a decent sized Plateaux block and a Cumberland stem. I was able to get closer to the shape I'm after, although I'm still not quiet there yet. Skip Elliot's beautiful Calabashes have served as my inspiration:



Specs in inches:
Bowl height: 2.5
Diameter at rim: 1.9
Chamber is .875 diameter by 2.1 deep.
Overall length is: 6.5

This is a bit larger than my last Calabashes. The stem is hand cut Cumberland with a Delrin Tenon.

I did some light blasting after the rustification this time and did a little more playing around with the finish, with a very light application of shellac on the rusticated portions before buffing. This seems to have set the stain better, and in addition to the sandblasting gives it a more "finished" appearance.

You can see a little stain bleed through in the bottom of the bowl. I may experiment with a bowl coating on this one.

Still have some work to do on this shape (especially noticeable from this angle). Over all it is better than this angle indicates. I'm getting closer, but it's not there yet. Proportionally It wants it to be a bit taller I think (it started out a little better, but I had to shorten this one down due to some heavy flaws and deep plateaux surface in the top). I would also like a bit more smoothness and a more graceful "Calabashy" curve to the shank. Again, all somewhat limited this time due to the block, which was just not tall enough. I hope to have this refined and use it as a catalog shape at some point.

Would appreciate any ways you see it can be improved for the next attmept at this shape.

[Skip]

I think that your pipe looks great!
Thank you for the compliments on my calabash pipes.
I prefer the look of a calabash with the classic top like you did how ever it has been my experience that the shape sells much faster when it has a general calabash shape with no over hanging top.
I used a Castello calabash as a model for one of my pipes and it was sold as soon as it hit our site.
I have blasted a few rusticated pipes and find that it can give a very unique look. Most of the time I just rub the pipe with steel wool to remove the sharpness.

Keep up the good work!
Skip

[ToddJohnson]

Hi Scott,

That's a fantastic looking pipe, especially for where you're at (what, 10, 20 pipes?). The lines and proportions are great, and you've managed a difficult shape with grace. The only critique I would offer is that the button looks a bit diminutive. Its depth is fine, maybe just a little "taller" next time around. That said, you're certainly better off having to increase the size of your buttons than vice versa. Usually guys have the opposite problem starting out. There's nothing worse than a pipe that your mouth is trying to digest because it thinks you're chewing on a jaw-breaker

Todd

[Nick]

Awesome pipe buddy! Really good. To my eye, it looks a little to straight, but thats just preference. Very graceful. I really can't see much to criticise about it. Way to go!

[sethile]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback and ecnouragement!

Skip, those Castello Calbashes are nice, but look almost more like a Dublin with a flare to me. I have a Tinderbox sort of like that. Interesting that the ones with overhang don't sell as well. So far I've found something like the overhang really sets off the effect of a partial rustification. Yours in P&T really turned me on to that, and I love the one you have on your site with the light the blast on the top, and the craggy blasted rustification on the base (or could that even be the same pipe?).

Thanks Todd! Your completely right about the button on this one. I have been unsatisfied with them being too large. I've certainly made a couple of the jawbreakers... and got carried away overcorrecting this time. I was working away and well, it just got away from me . It does still feel nice on the teeth, and even clinches ok, but I don't think it's going to hold up well, especially for a clincher. My stems and especially the buttons are a little behind (made my first 7 pipes with molded stems). I'm having a great time now while learning, but really looking forward to having more experience.

Totally aggree with you Nick, I was after more curve in the shank and stem then I managed to pull off. Going to try another one of these soon, hopefully with a bit more of that nice graceful Calabashy shank and stem. This one is way too straight surrounding the shank/stem junction, and just not enough curve overall.

[marks]

Thanks Todd! Your completely right about the button on this one. I have been unsatisfied with them being too large. I've certainly made a couple of the jawbreakers... and got carried away overcorrecting this time. I was working away and well, it just got away from me .

Scott, here is how I took the guesswork out of stem and button shaping.

One thing I did early on was measure stems and buttons on pipes in my collection that were comfortable for me. When cutting a stem, I measure the stem thickness behind the button, the button height from the stem (top and bottom), and the button thickness (front to back) as I am making the stem so I know exactly where I am at. That way, I don't take off too little, and I don't take off too much. I have certain measurements I am trying to hit, and I make all of my stems/buttons pretty consistent from pipe to pipe.

Also, when cutting down the stem on the belt sander, I leave the section where the button will be at the original shape, and I measure from the top and from the bottom to ensure that I take off the same amount of material on both sides of the airway prior to performing other operations on the stem. I shape the button later in the process.

I measure often when shaping a stem, as I can always take off more material, but I can never add back material (an old woodworkers saying that works very well for stem shaping).

Hope this helps.

[sethile]

That's helpful advice Marks, thanks! I have been measuring and comparing against things I like in my collection for thickness and shape as I go, but also doing a far amount of eyeballing in between. A bit too much in between apparently....

I've seen some simple jigs or rests that some of the Danish makers are using while working on their stems. Here is one that Kent Rasmussen is using:

It looks like the depth is knotched out as a partial guide for the file and to judge by eye, and the width of the lip (front to back), is marked with a line in the jig. I think I will work on something like that in hopes it will aid in the eyeball work between measurements.

If any of you are working with something like this I'd love to see it!

[marks]

Scott, I am just using calipers to measure, but any sort of accurately made jig or measuring device should work fine. You'll get the same measurement every time, no fiddling with a caliper.

By the way, I forgot to mention in my first post, nice pipe.

[smokepiper]

I think it´s beautiful pipe, a bit to say about the stem-bite need more materials to keep the pipe hanging from the jaw, as it is now you need to break a couple of teeth for keeping it hanging. Very nice work!!!