I've just completed another pipe that I think is pretty good. Symmetry, finish, color look pretty much like a "mid-grade" pipe IMO. Please review.
Thank you,
--Michael
pics:
--Michael
Pipe #43 for review
Pipe #43 for review
Greetings from Spokane,
I've just completed another pipe that I think is pretty good. Symmetry, finish, color look pretty much like a "mid-grade" pipe IMO. Please review.
Thank you,
--Michael
pics:
--Michael
I've just completed another pipe that I think is pretty good. Symmetry, finish, color look pretty much like a "mid-grade" pipe IMO. Please review.
Thank you,
--Michael
pics:
--Michael
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LatakiaLover
- Posts: 3121
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:29 am
- Location: Kansas City, USA
- Contact:
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LatakiaLover
- Posts: 3121
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:29 am
- Location: Kansas City, USA
- Contact:
A Grp 3 bowl, then. 
Kewl. The little 'uns are going through a bit of a resurgence in popularity lately.
Ready? The rustication and finish color are quite nice. If the color balance of the pics is accurate, you're on to something good, imo.
The chamber is both off center, and a bit large in diameter for the outside of the bowl.
The bowl in relation to the shank is a bit off. Either a larger bowl or shorter shank would have better balance. Pokers are a classic, and pretty well defined. The stem is too long for the current bowl/shank combination.
The wasp-waist of the stem when viewed from the top screams "molded"... Start with a larger diameter one and avoid the pinch.
Bite zone and button are pretty good. Better would be if the "flats" were entirely removed, though. Again, that says, "molded."
The shank where it meets the stem should be either unaffected rustication OR have a wider smooth band. Trying to split the difference doesn't work as well as one or the other. There also looks to be a step down to the stem from the wood in spots.
I'll bet that if you made another stem about 2/3rds of the length of that one, and made it a very slightly curved saddle (constant-width, no "pinch") instead of tapered, you'd be much happier with the pipe. Another dollar into it, and another hour, and that little guy could be quite nice.
Kewl. The little 'uns are going through a bit of a resurgence in popularity lately.Ready? The rustication and finish color are quite nice. If the color balance of the pics is accurate, you're on to something good, imo.
The chamber is both off center, and a bit large in diameter for the outside of the bowl.
The bowl in relation to the shank is a bit off. Either a larger bowl or shorter shank would have better balance. Pokers are a classic, and pretty well defined. The stem is too long for the current bowl/shank combination.
The wasp-waist of the stem when viewed from the top screams "molded"... Start with a larger diameter one and avoid the pinch.
Bite zone and button are pretty good. Better would be if the "flats" were entirely removed, though. Again, that says, "molded."
The shank where it meets the stem should be either unaffected rustication OR have a wider smooth band. Trying to split the difference doesn't work as well as one or the other. There also looks to be a step down to the stem from the wood in spots.
I'll bet that if you made another stem about 2/3rds of the length of that one, and made it a very slightly curved saddle (constant-width, no "pinch") instead of tapered, you'd be much happier with the pipe. Another dollar into it, and another hour, and that little guy could be quite nice.
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
Just for my own clarification and pipe education: Are you referring to the flat area in front of the button?LatakiaLover wrote:Bite zone and button are pretty good. Better would be if the "flats" were entirely removed, though. Again, that says, "molded."
By constant width, do you mean the full length of the stem including the button?LatakiaLover wrote:I'll bet that if you made another stem about 2/3rds of the length of that one, and made it a very slightly curved saddle (constant-width, no "pinch") instead of tapered, you'd be much happier with the pipe. Another dollar into it, and another hour, and that little guy could be quite nice.
Regards,
Frank.
------------------
Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
Frank.
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Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
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LatakiaLover
- Posts: 3121
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:29 am
- Location: Kansas City, USA
- Contact:
Frank --
Q1 - yes
Q2 - yes again, either straight or with a slight fishtail... just no Coke bottle "pinch." Here's an example of two otherwise identical stems:
The reason is purely aesthetic, not functional. The pinched look is characteristic of inexpensive, mass-produced pipes.
Q1 - yes
Q2 - yes again, either straight or with a slight fishtail... just no Coke bottle "pinch." Here's an example of two otherwise identical stems:
The reason is purely aesthetic, not functional. The pinched look is characteristic of inexpensive, mass-produced pipes.
UFOs must be real. There's no other explanation for cats.
Re: Pipe #43 for review
Small world, I did my undergrad at a little place called Gonzaga, maybe you've heard of it.flix wrote:Greetings from Spokane,
--Michael
I also worked at Metropolitan Mortgage before the crash in 01. Brings back memories
'tis a small world, indeed! I'm just down the road from Spokane in Pullman - graduated from WSU and now live there. Grew up in Clarkston, but spent a lot of time in Spokane with my dad, too. Good to know there's someone with a similar interest in the area.
I like the stain with the rustication - not as black as I see on most rusticated pipes, which is good IMO.
I like the stain with the rustication - not as black as I see on most rusticated pipes, which is good IMO.
LL,
I've got to disagree with you on the bowl. It looks better lined up in person, and I know why: the rustication
It looks like the rustication at that angle of the pic makes the bowl look off center and out of round. That was not the case before I started the rustication. It was pretty well round and centered. I need to do better on the lip(s) of my next pipes. The rustication is inconsistent on this one, making it look a bit off. Do you think that a thin (1/8") smooth rim would work at the top of the bowl?
The rustication all the way to the stem was because of flaws in the wood that were uncovered. The little bits of smooth briar that show up at the transition shouldn't have been there, I agree. No thin ring would've worked on this particular pipe, too many flaws.
Thanks for the comments on the rustication and the stain. I worked really hard on getting just the right texture and color. Lots of futzing around, sometimes getting down to just a single tool to get rustication random enough. The wire brush trick on the drill press made the texture just perfect, smooth and rough looking at the same time.
As far as the stem, it's a pre-mold. I think I'll leave it, and I'll play around with the bit a little, according to your comments. I'm not exactly sure how to do what you say. Perhaps you have a close-up picture of what you've done, before and after so I know exactly what you mean.
Thanks LL,
--Michael
I've got to disagree with you on the bowl. It looks better lined up in person, and I know why: the rustication
It looks like the rustication at that angle of the pic makes the bowl look off center and out of round. That was not the case before I started the rustication. It was pretty well round and centered. I need to do better on the lip(s) of my next pipes. The rustication is inconsistent on this one, making it look a bit off. Do you think that a thin (1/8") smooth rim would work at the top of the bowl?
The rustication all the way to the stem was because of flaws in the wood that were uncovered. The little bits of smooth briar that show up at the transition shouldn't have been there, I agree. No thin ring would've worked on this particular pipe, too many flaws.
Thanks for the comments on the rustication and the stain. I worked really hard on getting just the right texture and color. Lots of futzing around, sometimes getting down to just a single tool to get rustication random enough. The wire brush trick on the drill press made the texture just perfect, smooth and rough looking at the same time.
As far as the stem, it's a pre-mold. I think I'll leave it, and I'll play around with the bit a little, according to your comments. I'm not exactly sure how to do what you say. Perhaps you have a close-up picture of what you've done, before and after so I know exactly what you mean.
Thanks LL,
--Michael
Last edited by flix on Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Pipe #43 for review
Oh, yeah! Drive by there all the time. It looks like the women's basketball team is suffering this year...some big game tonight or something! I don't follow their teams like a good "Zag"!Dane C wrote:Small world, I did my undergrad at a little place called Gonzaga, maybe you've heard of it.flix wrote:Greetings from Spokane,
--Michael
I also worked at Metropolitan Mortgage before the crash in 01. Brings back memories
Yeah, the combination worked pretty well on this one. It took me a while thinking about what I wanted to show to get there. It seems that the Ashtons and the Ferndowns are almost always either ebony or black rusticates. Don't know why!jmlarsen wrote:'tis a small world, indeed! I'm just down the road from Spokane in Pullman - graduated from WSU and now live there. Grew up in Clarkston, but spent a lot of time in Spokane with my dad, too. Good to know there's someone with a similar interest in the area.
I like the stain with the rustication - not as black as I see on most rusticated pipes, which is good IMO.
Thanks,
--Michael
