pipemakersforum.com

ToddJohnson wrote:

Nick wrote:Speaking on non-measuring folks, where has Todd been lately?

46 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes, and 19 pipes to go.

Todd

P.S. Thanks for noticing guys.

What? They don't make you Yalies write papers?

jeff wrote:

ToddJohnson wrote:

Nick wrote:Speaking on non-measuring folks, where has Todd been lately?

46 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes, and 19 pipes to go.

Todd

P.S. Thanks for noticing guys.

What? They don't make you Yalies write papers?

They do. Some of us use our Spring "Break" to get all of our work done so that we can be pipemakers again. It's a small percentage though.

Todd

ToddJohnson wrote:

Nick wrote:Speaking on non-measuring folks, where has Todd been lately?

46 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes, and 19 pipes to go.

Todd

P.S. Thanks for noticing guys.

I thought you pro's turned out like 2 a day!? :think:

You should be able to do at least 80 before Chicago!!

ToddJohnson wrote:

jeff wrote:

ToddJohnson wrote: 46 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes, and 19 pipes to go.

Todd

P.S. Thanks for noticing guys.

What? They don't make you Yalies write papers?

They do. Some of us use our Spring "Break" to get all of our work done so that we can be pipemakers again. It's a small percentage though.

Todd

Ah, so you were undermining my nascent business by allowing me to visit while I should have been doing schoolwork! DAMN YOU!

That said, I have a hell of a lot of work to do, so I'm going to get to it.



Later

Very cool sketch John. I like it lot! Can't wait to see the T's in Chicago. Maybe we can con some nubile young coeds to have a wet T-shirt contest contest in them. I can see it now....

[water applied liberaly to said coed as we all sit gawking]

Pipe maker one: "Wow! Check that out!"

Pipe maker two: "Dude! You're totally right. The pipe would look better if the shank was a bit more inclined."

Pipe maker two: "Dude! You're totally right. The pipe would look better if the shank was a bit more inclined."

Sad, but true.

Though I might not be in for the T-Shirt for Chicago as a german newbie, I still want to throw in some thoughts around the graphical and marketing oriented viewpoint.

1. Make it a visually clear statement
It should be nice to look at and easy to remember. Not too much fuzzy small detail. It will minimise the first visual impact and may not be clear to the everyman viewpoint. A pro as well as a non-pipemaker (or even -smoker) should be pleased seeing it, having positive ideas. Just leave out any person with anti-smoker backgrounds.

2. Center the motive (logo, pic or whatever) around one statement.
This may be a slogan or even an idea, a vision, that is visualized in a picture or drawing.

We all know, there is lots of science in what we do, but a lot of voodoo is also been discussed. But everybody will agree on the idea it's all based on a sort of acurate craftmanship on the edge to the idea of some kind of "art". So I feel no need for a blueprint. Do you want to be adressed as some kind of engineers? Walking around with those white smocks in the production areas controlling the process against a blueprint? All those technical oriented pics look rather boring to me. Good to explain some facts to another pro, but not to visualize the emotions and the efforts (Blood, sweat and briar…) put in the work to achieve the final goal (and get the T-shirt). Besides that, a blueprint is always thin-lined, giving little visual impact esp. when printed to a shirt.
So back to the sketching idea to be seen in this thread. Simplify it to some more clear lines to increase the visual power, maybe add some specific tool or workspace background detail also in a clear shape. Just to give it a hint towards the working process and not only to the product, i.e. the pipe. No grid. Don't fence it in! A graphic taboo and: Let those anti-smokers do that. We should not move an inch into that direction.
And then there is the need for a striking slogan. Short and not directly centered around any detail of pipemaking. Remember, it should speak to the non-pros, too! »Blood sweat and Briar« shows the direction to go, since it triggers some everyday-thoughts of doing something with lots of effort and accuracy and combines it with an unexpected word. But it could be more positive.
I am afraid I am of little help here, since I am no native speaker. There dutch beer "Grolsch" is using the slogan "Vaakmanschap is Meesterschap" (I am not shure about the spelling) for the whole brand. Vaakmanschap is something like "expertise", the whole range of practical skills a person or profession can achieve. The "Vaakman" is the "expert". "Meesterschap" is something like "mastership" in a bit old-fashioned way. You are only a master (of a profession, of a skill, not all the other meanings covered by the english word "master") if you have mastered to learn all the skills of your profession and to choose freely from all those skills, methods and tools depending on the special goal. Remember the blueprint not matching the idea of freedom and thus "mastership"? Go into that direction!

Alex

Hey guys...thanks for all the suggestions. The shirt is officially now out of committee, and into design. I am very close to a final design, and I will know a price and preview in the next few days hopefully.

I'll keep you guys updated.

The design is really cool, if I do say so myself. (A few other fellows should receive the credit in the design department.) I think it'll be a great shirt.

Tyler

Design posted in a new thread...please post to the thread to let me know if you want one. Go here for the new thread:

T-Shirt Design