Pencil Shank Poker

[2combs]

I just finished this one up. Pencil shape poker with Bethlehem Olive and a hand cut cumberland stem. Also, this is my first hand cut stem. Haven't weighed it yet, but based off of my other featherweight pipes, I don't believe it can be any more than 20 grams. This pipe wasn't planned out, it just kind of came together. Thanks in advance for the critiques and compliments.

[wdteipen]

That looks pretty good, Tu. There's only a few minor adjustments I'd make. There is a bulge in the middle of your stem. I really like the flared stem style on a pipe like this one. I would maintain the diameter you have at the shank end through to about the 2/3 point then flare. Carrying that thinness of the shank farther will have a more drastic effect. The transition from shank to bowl could be tighter; especially on the bottom. As a general rule, the thinner the shank the tighter the transition should be, IMHO. To prevent your bowl coating from flaking off at the rim, make sure to sand the chamber just prior to coating and make sure not to get any oils from your fingers in there because it prevents the bowl coating from soaking into/adhering to the wood. When sandblasting the shank, use a lighter hand towards the end of the shank and gradually get more aggressive as you move towards the bowl. This prevents that abrupt change at the ring at the end of your shank. Lastly, and this is more of a personal preference, when over done or poorly done, a fluted slot looks sloppy. I'm always left feeling like the maker is cheating when they flute their slot like they are hiding gouges and miss-cuts. I can't help but feel like the maker can't make a clean slot so they flute to cover up their lack of skill. That may or may not be the case. Overall, this is a really nice pipe.

[2combs]

Thanks Wayne, i appreciate you taking the time to go over all of that. And I'm glad you mentioned that about the slot, i have never thought of that. I'll have to keep that in mind on the next one.