1st & 2nd Pipes (Tinsky Kits)

[Kyler]

My first pipe is a prototype for a future pipe. I made the pipe in the January of 2010. The pipe is fairly a crude pickaxe especially since it was cut with a hand saw and shaped with a small rotary sander attached to battery powered hand drill. The finish is a contrast stain using Mixol Black & Camel brown. The briar is plateau, it kind of a shame I ruined what would have been a very nice flame grain pipe in Mark's hands.





My second pipe I have only recently completed. It is another Tinsky pipe kit. This kit is one of his basic ebauchon briars. This past year I received a Dremel tool for my birthday so this pipe was mostly to test and learn the feel of the bits that I had purchased. With the kit I received and after my initial experiences I decided that I would carve a freehand sitting pipe. The finish is a contrast stain using Transfast Black & Cardinal Red. The staining method is one I used from the forum, and I think overall it turned out pretty nice. I know brighter red is not fairly popular color for pipes, but I wanted to test the color for a possible future pipe. My wife hates the color, but I think that's because she's a Purdue fan and I grew an IU fan. I definitely prefer the Transfast dyes compared to Mixol. Unfortunately in my home town there is no way to purchase leather dyes so Transfast were next best thing.










I welcome constructive criticism since I am learning and nearly all the members of this forum have A LOT more experience then me.
I also apologize for not having better quality photos, the wife is using our camera for work so the pictures were taken on my Iphone.

[Sasquatch]

Kyler, my advice if you want to get "good" is to forget freehand shapes and work on basic skills. These pipes look like any number of other first/second pipes, and basically the common theme is that they are heavy, offer no compositional ideas, no unifying themes, and basically come across as grade 8 shop projects.

We've all been there.

The shank on the first pipe is chubby and neither round nor square, and it sort of tapers in and hits the stem. But that's... well it's just not what pipes with that kind of stem do. CAN you design a pipe with that kind of mounting idea? Yes. Would it go with a pickaxe? Maybe. But it's a detail that's probably better avoided if it isn't being done "correctly" (which is to say on a lathe and crisply).

The best freehands, be they just grain-sensitive shapes or blowfish or a pickaxe... the best ones present ideas, they don't waste space, and yet they maximize the beauty of the material and are STILL pipes. But this is not easy, and surely not easy to learn to do in your first few pipes.

If you work on classic (English) shapes, you'll be able to dial in a basic skillset real fast and learn to proportion your pipes, learn what effects subtle changes in shaping will do, and then come back to freehands with a toolkit that will allow you to do them more successfully.

Success on these pipes includes learning to stain and finish, seeing how much sanding and polishing is required, and so far not wrecking anything! Next pipe you add another level of knowledge - make a perfectly smooth stem/shank joint, for example. And each pipe you learn something more about how to make them look good (which is to say, how to make pipes people say "Wow I want to buy that" about).

Welcome aboard! Go make a billiard.

[Boekweg]

Nice pipes Kyler. I too am entering the pipe making game. For now, just hobbie and then, who know's, maybe i will be the next Erik Nording
I agree with sas in most ways but i also believe we all follow our own path and imagination. there is a saying that has been quoted by well known people, i heard it quoted by Napoleon Hill in his book and audio (the law of success in 16 lessons) "What the mind of a man can Conceive and believe, it can achieve" So although i do agree with sas on the fundamentals of pipe making, i am also all for thinking outside the box and using your imagination. Full steam ahead!

[Abi Natur]

Hi Kyler,
yeap' Sas has said it all ,so not much room for my words of wisdom except; go make a third one an try to shape it after some of the classical forms.In a so called freehand shape no one here can give you an really constructive advise that will bring you further in educating you tactile finesses of your hand regarding this craftsmanship ,go classic and a lot of good criticism will come your way.

Best,
Abi

ps;Freehand is a heavily misused and abused word anyhow

[Kyler]

Thank guys for the comments. I do appreciate the insights since I am at the very beginnng of learning to make pipes.

I completely agree freehand pipes are a very open style. My first pipe I definitely bit off more than I could chew especially since I really didn't have the right tools. My second pipe was a much more conservative approach, but my next pipe will be a much more traditional size & shape. It will a better test of what I need to learn. Fortunately enough a coworker has graciously offered the use of his extensive wood shop in my new hobby. So I am looking forward to learning more & more skills over the coming months.