Razorback Horn...

[JMG]

6" long, 3/4" chamber. I'm not happy with the finish. I no longer have the means to sandblast so it was either smooth or rusticated...I couldn't bring myself to rusticate this one. I'm hoping to get some tutelage on smooth finishes at the Chicago show. The stem came out ok except there is a small nick on the face of the button. I don't want to chance sanding it out for fear of making the button too thing. Overall, this was fun and a stretch for me design wise. I'm fairly pleased overall, but there are lots of things that need to be improved. I'm really going to have to do some practicing on finishing a smooth. I even still see some marks that I can only assume are sanding marks, but I swear I went through my grits...twice. The draw is nice and open. It will pass two pipe cleaners simultaneously. I still need to stamp this pipe with the RHOX name.

I feel like this one had potential to be pretty nice, but between the finish and getting sloppy as I finished the button really held me back.

[LatakiaLover]

Very tricky business, horns. Their simplicity highlights adherence to line more than any other shape.

Looks like you have a bulge at the stem/shank junction in profile, and lost the line a bit from the top view (either the shank tapers too fast, or the stem not enough). The mass is also a bit off to one side when measured against a centerline

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[JMG]

Ugh! That last one really shows the ugly. I think the major problem with that line is in the back of the bowl (shank side) the point that I brought it to is not on line with the front and stem bit.

[JMG]

This make me want to go crawl in a hole.

[LatakiaLover]

This make me want to go crawl in a hole.

Not even a little. It's better than 70% of the horns ever made, and better than 99% of first tries at the shape. It is an absolute, uncompromising, dictatorial, iron-fisted pig bitch that punishes EVERY slip, no matter how small, in a magnified, spotlighted way.

The fact that you even "went there" so soon in your carving life and mostly pulled it off is indicative of both spirit and serious talent.

Your reaction to less-than-perfection also suggests---strongly---that if you stick with it, one day you'll be national class.

[RickB]

Not even a little.

^That. It's a cool pipe that you should feel pretty good about IMO. Nothing gets posted here that's above getting critique, and that's a good thing.

[JMG]

Not even a little.

^That. It's a cool pipe that you should feel pretty good about IMO. Nothing gets posted here that's above getting critique, and that's a good thing.

I love the critique. Those yellow lines scream at you though...but they sure are helpful.

[LatakiaLover]

A couple more thangz.

The curving gleam line of the stummel has a straight section in it (between the red arrows) that shouldn't be there; and at the top of the bowl there's a slight "hook" (the other red arrow) that overhangs the profile's line.

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[seamonster]

George, we need you to build some virtual reality pipe carver goggles so we can put them on and have your Lazer lines superimposed over a pipe-in-progress.... get on that, will ya??

Sent from my bloopty-bloop, using hooty-hoo.

[LatakiaLover]

Here's a similar pipe made by Adam Davidson. A bit more stretched out, and minus the keel (though it incorporates plateau there), but definitely a cousin.

Notice that he did something REALLY unusual and difficult---the top and bottom curves are extended all the way to the button. They never "relax" and go straight. I actually think the pipe would look somewhat better if the stem was straight, but technically, keeping the curves is quite a statement. Very few people have the chops AND patience to pull it off.

I wonder how much it sold for?

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/ ... t_id=53666

[JMG]

A couple more thangz.

The curving gleam line of the stummel has a straight section in it (between the red arrows) that shouldn't be there; and at the top of the bowl there's a slight "hook" (the other red arrow) that overhangs the profile's line.

.

I did catch that hook after I posted the pipe here. Blerg. That light line sticks out like a turd in a punch bowl now that you point it out.

[JMG]

and better than 99% of first tries at the shape

In honesty, this was my second horn. This was my first a few years ago. It's actually what got me started making pipes. I always wanted a pipe horn shape, but they are few and far between and usually expensive. So, I said, "Hmm...I might could make one myself." Not great, but I hope I can continue to build and maybe one of these days turn out something a little closer to Adam's. Oh, that was a pre-form stem that I tweaked.

[JMG]

After reworking that pot, I decided to give this horn a go and tweak some things. George pointed out that the center line was off so I re-chucked the stummel in the lathe via using a drill bit as a pin gauge and refaced the shank. Not sure it completely cured that problem, but I think it helped. Also, took George's advice and gave the stem a little bend. I think I over did it just a smidgen. I'll restain and finish it out again hopefully tonight sometime. As always, thanks for all your advice and for making guys like me better.

[seamonster]

After reworking that pot, I decided to give this horn a go and tweak some things. George pointed out that the center line was off so I re-chucked the stummel in the lathe via using a drill bit as a pin gauge and refaced the shank. Not sure it completely cured that problem, but I think it helped. Also, took George's advice and gave the stem a little bend. I think I over did it just a smidgen. I'll restain and finish it out again hopefully tonight sometime. As always, thanks for all your advice and for making guys like me better.

I think the bent stem looks much much better. I don't think the bend is too much. It does look like you have a few bumps in the bottom line. If you can shape that into one continuous curve, you'll have a mighty fine horn.... one that just might change my whole opinion of that shape!

Sent from my bloopty-bloop, using hooty-hoo.

[RickB]

I think the bent stem looks much much better. I don't think the bend is too much. It does look like you have a few bumps in the bottom line. If you can shape that into one continuous curve, you'll have a mighty fine horn.... one that just might change my whole opinion of that shape!

IAWSM. Might see a couple of tiny kinks in the top line as well, but man is that looking cool. I'd totally leave it a lighter color, too.

[DocAitch]

IAWRASM- a lighter finish would really enhance that grain.
DocAitch

[JMG]

It's not great, but it's better...baby steps. With Mark Price's tutelage I tried a Danish oil finish for the first time. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. The back of the stummel (stem side) has some flaws, but I don't have the means to sandblast anymore and I just couldn't bring myself to rusticate this one. The line of plateau is not totally centered on the shank as it approaches the stem. And my overall center line is still off a smidge. I still need to clean up the chamber and stamp it, but I'm calling this one "done".







Slot is sloppy, not crisp at all.








Flaws...

[RickB]

Looks a lot better IMO. Very cool pipe.

[LatakiaLover]

Mark makes some amazing stuff. Hoover his brain as thoroughly as possible while you're stateside.

Overall a respectable+ job on a beastly-difficult shape & concept. Like a first year violin student tackling Bach's C major sonata... the amazing part isn't how well you played it, but that you could play it at all.

The training effect of tackling projects like this is huge. It's like resistance training for pipe makers.

You know what come next, of course:

Now go make another!

[LatakiaLover]

I found a pipe similar to yours (without the burl keel) so you can compare your line choices.

One or the other of the S. Bang guys made this, and both have been at it a very long time. (This one's priced at $1500)

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