poker

[Christopher Brunton]

Well, here's the latest. A poker for my father, since he asked me for one and he is nice enough to send me supplies, tools, tobacco, etc., from the states.

I'd have to say, looking at it in pictures, that it needs work. There is a dip in the shank just before the stem junction, and I'd like to see more of a hawkbill curve to both the stem and shank. What looks like a bulge on the right side of the stem in the last picture is an illusion, or a delusion, if you prefer....I'm also not too happy with the taper of the stem, looking down from the top. So there's stuff to work on, did I miss anything?

But for now, I'll leave it, since I have a few other projects on the table. I do like to polish and lightly wax my pipes, then give them a once over if they need it. I can just see stuff better after a polish. (Maybe I'm going blind!) I'll update with a couple new pics when I get it where I want it.

anyway, any thoughts are appreciated,
thanks for looking
-chris

p.s. I know, I know, vacuum the table cloth....maybe later.

[RussAlan]

That is a beautiful pipe and a very nice take on the poker shape. It is a very nice piece of briar. Im sure your father will enjoy it.

[Källman]

Very elegant. Awesome flames man. Great job!

[Frank]

Nice shape. A contrast stain would make that beautiful birdseye on the rim really stand out.

[Charl]

Your dad is going to be a happy man!
The button for me is maybe just a tad too high, but that's my own preference.
By the way, what did you use for stem material?

[Christopher Brunton]

Thanks everybody.

As it just so happens, the local hardware store sells wine making supplies. So, I just may head down and pick up some tannic acid tomorrow and try out Kurt's patented, world famous high contrast acid Kool aide test. you're right, the rim could use a kick in the butt.

On to the stem. It's made of an acrylic that I picked up as 'experimental material' at Tap plastics. I actually kinda like it. It's softer than normal acrylic and has a bite a little bit like vulcanite, but it is 10,000 times easier to get the scratches out. It also machines pretty well and it was cheap. Don't know how it will age, exactly, though I do have a two year old stem made from it that has no problems. However, if the inside of the airway isn't polished well (and mine seldom are, yet) it really likes to show tar build up. Being translucent, that's not a big bonus.

I do have a bit of little-buttonitis lately. (Or is that little buttonobia?) A few months ago I was altering a stem of mine and reduced the button to a nub. Now the poor thing feels like it's about to fall out of my mouth. So, I make 'em big and take them down to size right before final buffing. (It's really not that big, though.)

thanks again for the good words. More pipes soon...

-chris