Straight Apple

[scotties22]

It's been a while since I have made a regular pipe and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The entire process is a lot different than making my little "Scottie" pipes. As always, comments and critiques welcome.

Sorry about the fuzz all of the place....my light box is a little dusty

Length: 5.28"
Height: 1.52"
Chamber: .75" x 1.28"
Weight: 38 grams

[LatakiaLover]

Ooops. The stem starts to flare, then narrows again as it approaches the button. That's easy to do when focusing on the shaping of the shank/stem joint at one end, and the bite zone & button contour at the other... the two ends shrink, and what lies between gets overlooked and (since it didn't receive as much shaping) appears to "bloat" slightly.

There is also a faint-but-perceptible "kink" slope down to the crease on the top and bottom---starts about 5/8" or 3/4" out. Don't forget to go back and straighten the long line after your final bite zone shaping is complete.

Crispy-clean and well-executed pipe in every other way that I can see, though, and Its overall attitude is is outstanding. The forward cant of the bowl, and its non-traditional-but-still-classic profile kicks ass.

The Brapple is born.

[Nate]

I bet the narrow then widening is just an illusion LL, I bet it is just the curvature of the stem and lighting, Take another look and let me know what you think.

[LatakiaLover]

I bet the narrow then widening is just an illusion LL, I bet it is just the curvature of the stem and lighting, Take another look and let me know what you think.

The narrow depth of field that close up photography involves can indeed result in certain kinds of apparent distortion. As can the border of dark objects on white backgrounds when digital processes are involved (remember that thread about Jeff G's pipe last year? )

No worries here, though. Scottie is her own harshest critic (she's a perfection-chaser). She'll just get out her straightedge and report back.

[scotties22]

I will!?!?!?!?!

Yeah, I will...soon as I get ze babies to sleep

[Nate]

I bet the narrow then widening is just an illusion LL, I bet it is just the curvature of the stem and lighting, Take another look and let me know what you think.

The narrow depth of field that close up photography involves can indeed result in certain kinds of apparent distortion. As can the border of dark objects on white backgrounds when digital processes are involved (remember that thread about Jeff G's pipe last year? )

No worries here, though. Scottie is her own harshest critic (she's a perfection-chaser). She'll just get out her straightedge and report back.

I dunno, you may be right...Scottie can't measure worth beans, so it may be off...

[JMG]

I'm finding it hard to come up with any critiques on this one. That is a pipe I wouldn't mind owning for myself.

[scotties22]

I bet the narrow then widening is just an illusion LL, I bet it is just the curvature of the stem and lighting, Take another look and let me know what you think.

The narrow depth of field that close up photography involves can indeed result in certain kinds of apparent distortion. As can the border of dark objects on white backgrounds when digital processes are involved (remember that thread about Jeff G's pipe last year? )

No worries here, though. Scottie is her own harshest critic (she's a perfection-chaser). She'll just get out her straightedge and report back.

I dunno, you may be right...Scottie can't measure worth beans, so it may be off...

It turns out Nate is right....I can't measure for shit. But, it's not my fault women have been lied to about how long an inch really is

George is right as well. There really isn't any "bloat" in the stem, it's more the bite zone doesn't match the taper on the rest of the stem. It's not too noticeable in hand, but it is there.

[d.huber]

Sweet pipe, Scottie.

Is there a dip in the line of the shank where the shank meets the bowl? Right on top.

[scotties22]

Sweet pipe, Scottie.

Is there a dip in the line of the shank where the shank meets the bowl? Right on top.

It does appear so.....but only on the driver's side It is actually just to the side of the top of the shank. not visible from the other side at all.

It's something I still struggle with. It is a process thing for me and sometimes I didn't double check as well as I should have before I moved on to the next stem. In this case I waffled for a few days as to weather to blast this pipe or not. While I was making up my mind I went ahead and sanded the stem and shank. Once I decided to leave it smooth I tightened up the shaping on the bowl and final sanded without making sure I sanded everything again....hence the dip on the driver's side.

[LatakiaLover]

PS ---

Vanishingly small, perfection-chasing quibbles aside, what impresses me most isn't the individual pipe itself so much as the shape is good enough to deserve duplication. Like one of Comoy's or Dunhills chart standards.

I suppose in this age of individual carvers, such "instant classic" recognizability is referred to as one of a maker's signature shapes. Like Heeschen's "P", or Eltang's router-finished cutty.

Coming up with such a thing is NOT easy to do, and does not happen often.

Bravo