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Okay, I'm getting pretty happy with this great big rhodesian - the briar is flawless, the grain and the shape are working well, I didn't carve out any big chunks on the lathe - what more could a guy ask.
My question for the big boys is how do I bend this stem. The pipe is drilled at about 10 degrees, so I don't need much bend. I was wondering if a shorter, sharper bend near the end would look better, or if a guy just wants a real gentle curve. I sort of can't see it in my head.
LOL Frank you might be right.... I can't ever keep it straight. I did look though, and thought that rhodesian seemed to get the square, and bulldog the round.... but of course, this could be wrong too.
As I understand it, a bulldog has a diamond shank. A rhodesian has a round shank. I wasn't aware there was a differing opinion. I learn something new every day....
As for flare, I don't know. Got an illustration of what you mean?
Sasquatch wrote:Boy, are opinions ever split and muddled as to what qualifies for rhodesian and what for bulldog! I can't get any consensus at all from the net sites.
I see what you're saying based on the pictures, but if you read the description you'll see that the bulldog is said to have a diamond shank.
Other ways to categorize between bulldog and rhodesian seem to include basic bowl geometry, whether the pipe is bent or straight, shank being diamond or round, and/or any combination of these factors. But I'm happy to stick with round vs diamond and leave it at that!
I will call this a bulldog, which I did originally, and then changed it to suit that picture on the website I found, not wanting to look like an ignoramus, which well....
Kurt, the fishtail mouthpiece is currently is wider than the rest of the shank, but not by much. I was wondering if this style of pipe ordinarily gets a "straighter" treatment - tapering smaller and smaller right to the button.
Sasquatch wrote:Kurt, the fishtail mouthpiece is currently is wider than the rest of the shank, but not by much. I was wondering if this style of pipe ordinarily gets a "straighter" treatment - tapering smaller and smaller right to the button.
Your stem is not exactly a "fishtail", but I think what you're asking is if the stem should have a waist or a straight taper. I don't know, so I'll let someone else decide.
Regards,
Frank.
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Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
I would do a slight gradual bend over the entire length of the stem. The shank looks to be straight and any more than a very slight bend will look out of place.
Sasquatch wrote:Kurt, the fishtail mouthpiece is currently is wider than the rest of the shank, but not by much. I was wondering if this style of pipe ordinarily gets a "straighter" treatment - tapering smaller and smaller right to the button.
Ah, I gotcha.
That, I think, is a matter of personal preference - specific to saddle stems anyway. I've seen straight and fishtail saddle stems on bulldogs, and I don't think that there's a right or wrong way - as long it works with the rest of the pipe. If it was a taper bit instead of a saddle, I wouldn't fishtail it at all since I don't think it would look right.
