Honest Opinion

[taharris]

Ok guys, I'm feeling really good about this one (despite the inclusions on one side).

Please let me know if I am justified.








(By the way, what shape would you classify this pipe as?)

Thanks for looking.

Todd

[Mike Messer]

Ok guys, I'm feeling really good about this one (despite the inclusions on one side).

Please let me know if I am justified. ...

Naa, worse piece of junk I've seen this year.

Seriously, nice pipe. I like it...unusual stem, looks cool. Too bad about the inclusions.
I'd call it a smooth, bent, horny dublin.
Again, Seriously, the really "there" pipemakers might just call it something like a "Smooth 1429."

P.S. Sorry, I'm in a goofy mood. Nice Pipe.

[mathias65]

I think it looks awesome.

However that one bottom view image makes it look like something is a bit off. It appears to lean to the left a bit. Maybe it's just the pic though.

I would tend to think it looks like a dublin.

[wdteipen]

You have a right to be pleased with this one, Todd. It's a beautiful pipe. I would call it a bent Dublin. There's only two very minor details that I would have any advice on: 1) the bend in the stem is a bit acute and could be a bit more smooth. I usually do a little bit of sanding after the bend to smooth things out a bit. I think that would help. And 2) the shank is a tad long but not bad at all. Very nicely done.

[Sasquatch]

Shape wise, I'd call this a bent dublin. It's drifting hornish though (but we're about to fix that aren't we? Muhahahaha)

This pipe is exactly what a guy makes when he's figured out how to drill, how to attach a stem (and do a nice job of the joint), and decides "I'm gonna make something nice."

And you did. And at a certain price point lots of people will buy that pipe.

So. What to improve...

The stem bend is the first thing that jumps out. Looks like it was heated up in one spot and tweaked over. No grace at all, and certainly compared to the sweeping outside arc of the stummel, it's a bit abrupt. I would also knock the button down in both directions, but especially lenthwise - about half that is far more comfortable - have a look at Radice or Ser Jacopo - tall and thin, practical and comfortable.

So another way of saying what I'm saying is, this looks a bit like a prefab stem, and a guy can go further in hiding that fact.

In terms of shaping, if you have to ask what shape a pipe is, ... you blew it - it's no shape. The bowl on this is a dublin, but the shank is flaring out to greet the bowl as it would in a horn. So.. it's neither. I would tighten in that shank and really get the bowl defined as such - think of them as two seperate entities on this pipe BUT don't lose the graceful overal shape. Easy, huh?

Might be the photo but the longitudinal symmetry looks bad. Looking along the pipe, it looks like it's fudged to the left in the picture.

For overall proportions, the shank is a bit long and the stem is probably a bit long too.

So, there's a whole bunch of victories in this pipe, a whole bunch of things done right, and now on the next pipe you can improve another aspect or two, and another and another until you're making 800.00 pipes. What could be easier?

PS also, that's an utterly random lump of briar - that pipe would look really nice, or "sick" as the young folk say, with a good piece of plateux instead. The natural splaying of the grain on a good plateux block makes straight-grain dublins a very easy fit.

[Boekweg]

Very nice pipe there!

[Nate]

Nice work Todd! You have had some seriously helpful critique already, I agree and have nothing really to add. But it is a nice looking pipe and a great step for you!

[hawky454]

Todd, very well done! You're best yet!

[taharris]

Thanks to all for your praise and insightful critiques.

Considering that many of you are selling pipes, it is very refreshing to be associated with a group of people that value the craft of pipe making over the threat of future competition.

Maybe I'll sell pipes someday, maybe I'll just make them for my own pleasure and as gifts to friends. Either way, I have an opportunity to become a better pipe maker because of your generosity.

I made this pipe for a buddy on another forum who complained about his small pipe that burns hot.
I told him I would make him one with a little meat on its bones (maybe not a filet, but not hamburger either )

Todd

[Sorringowl]

Based on Sas's comments I would call this a Horn of Dublin...but, then, Sas would probably crush me with his big, hairy Sasquatch feet (or foot?) for promoting hybrid style pipes (oddly enough, Sas, himself, is a hybrid, part Yeti, part pipemaker).

In either case (and I think Sas, as always, hit upon some really great, really detailed critiques--thanks again, Sas--always an education), I like this pipe overall and I too think it's pretty cool that you can post a pipe up here and have some of the best of the best pipemakers and aficionados give helpful criticism. I think it's pretty cool too that you're friend will have a really nice pipe too. In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, "Lucky!"

Keep up the great work and can't wait to see the next one!