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Todd
Unless you really know how to "read" briar, this won't amount to a whole lot. I actually don't think new makers should get to lay hands on decent briar until they've reached a certain skill level. Once you know what you're doing, a live-fire exercise with some first rate wood is great. Before that, however, and generally what happens is that excellent wood gets turned into un-excellent pipes. It's sort of a travesty from where I sit.Ryan wrote:I hate the monotony of turning pipes with the 2 jaw. I feel like I'm wasting the briar by not following the grain.
It is, indeed. I don't necessarily think this has to be done with billiards, but they're a great benchmark because it's so well established what they "should" look like. I never did billiards, but I did a lot of simple stuff that was easy to judge against an accepted "standard."As Jeff, Rad, and yourself have pointed out it is necicary for new makers to do the basics. Building the foudation so to speak.
It's not that classics bore me, quite the opposite. At this point, I find them novel and somewhat perplexing. It's just that I hate turning shapes and then grinding off the square nonsense that's left. It's just not interesting . . . but, then again, neither are stems, and they're required for every pipe.I'm bored doing classics. I think I did it to myself, I went to fast to soon.
I want to be a pro, so I will follow the instruction of those who have gone before me and paved the road.
WOW... I'm not really new to making, I know you've been out of the pipe making world for a little while but, I have been doing this for a few years and I have been complimented by other pipe makers (not of your “obvious” caliber, but big names none the less). I also have quite a few high end collectors on my email list, who, if they didn’t think I was something to look at, they wouldn't have subscribed to my list.Unless you really know how to "read" briar, this won't amount to a whole lot. I actually don't think new makers should get to lay hands on decent briar until they've reached a certain skill level.
Ryan,Ryan wrote:WOW... I'm not really new to making, I know you've been out of the pipe making world for a little while but, I have been doing this for a few years and I have been complimented by other pipe makers (not of your “obvious” caliber, but big names none the less). I also have quite a few high end collectors on my email list, who, if they didn’t think I was something to look at, they wouldn't have subscribed to my list.Unless you really know how to "read" briar, this won't amount to a whole lot. I actually don't think new makers should get to lay hands on decent briar until they've reached a certain skill level.
Frankly, I’m a bit put off. I’ve never been called untalented without someone actually saying it. That is the feeling I keep getting from you every time you follow up on one of my posts.
In your blog, you said you wanted to help aspiring pipe makers, but it seems like your trying to discourage.
The way you picked apart my entire post...wow.
Ryan
Sounds interesting, Ben. where would I read his reviews?bscofield wrote:BTW- if you think Todd's comments are hard to swallow sometimes, I hear that a review from a drunken Neil (from Smokin' Holsters) is as fun as a barrel of monkeys!!