Where is the front of the bowl?

[Tyler]

Another thread highlights something that is often confusing in pipe making dialogue (viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6464). When we start to talk about the bowl of the pipe, there is a difference in perspective on what is the "front" and what is the "back" of the bowl.

I personally describe front and back from the perspective of the smoker, meaning the shank side of the bowl is the front, and the opposite side the back.

I've been talking on the phone with Growley quite a bit, and he describes the front as the side I call the back. (The side furthest from the smoker.) It has made for some confusing conversations until we figured it out.

What perspective do you use?

[Sasquatch]

[e Markle]

I would like to officially nominate Sas as the PMF contributor of the year. It's pretty clear that no one else on the forum offers this kind of wisdom.

[Growley]

Another thread highlights something that is often confusing in pipe making dialogue (viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6464). When we start to talk about the bowl of the pipe, there is a difference in perspective on what is the "front" and what is the "back" of the bowl.

I personally describe front and back from the perspective of the smoker, meaning the shank side of the bowl is the front, and the opposite side the back.

I've been talking on the phone with Growley quite a bit, and he describes the front as the side I call the back. (The side furthest from the smoker.) It has made for some confusing conversations until we figured it out.

What perspective do you use?

Oh man,...I never knew we were talking about two totally different sides

[KurtHuhn]

For me, the front is the part furthest from my face when smoking. It would hit the wall first if I walked into one, so it must be the front.

[hawky454]

I, too, assumed the front was the furthest end of the pipe. The back being the side you see when smoking. Good point to bring up.

[Sasquatch]

I think it's hard to argue that the front of a pipe should be found basically right in the middle.

[taharris]

Thank you Sas for posting in pictures more than any of us could have done with words.

I will never again be in doubt about where the front of my pipe is.

Todd

[bregolad]

It seems like (no offense to the parties involved), due to general consensus, that tyler is wrong I have a gut feeling that this will be the next hot button issue of the pipe world, rivaling the bowl coating conspiracy.

[Tyler]

Another thread highlights something that is often confusing in pipe making dialogue (viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6464). When we start to talk about the bowl of the pipe, there is a difference in perspective on what is the "front" and what is the "back" of the bowl.

I personally describe front and back from the perspective of the smoker, meaning the shank side of the bowl is the front, and the opposite side the back.

I've been talking on the phone with Growley quite a bit, and he describes the front as the side I call the back. (The side furthest from the smoker.) It has made for some confusing conversations until we figured it out.

What perspective do you use?

Oh man,...I never knew we were talking about two totally different sides

I used "we" liberally. More like I realized what you meant, and we were then communicating.

I find it interesting that everyone thinks of it differently than I do. I understand why you guys think of it the way you do, but it'll take me a while to get used to it.

To offer more on why I think of it the way I do, when I'm shaping I picture the bowl as an independent part to which a shank is affixed. Since the shank side is the "business" end of things, this is the front in my mind, and the back is the other side. Seems backwards to me to think of the non-business side as the back. Even though I used the smoker's perspective in my original post, I don't think of the smoker for more orientation. (What part of the pipe runs into the wall first has no bearing in my thinking.) I think of it as a pipe maker. The back is the easy part, and the front is where all the work is.

Apparently, I am in the minority.

All that said, I do think there is something helpful in the way I think about it (naturally). When new makers are working of the shank/bowl junction, they most often botch it. I think it is very helpful to think of the bowl as an independent piece when working on that junction. Take a billiard for instance, the junction should make the bowl look like it was turned on a lathe without the shank (independently), and then the shank was affixed. The junction should create a symmetrical curve with the back (er, ah, uh...front) of the bowl. I think this visualization is what has led me to think of the shank side as the front.

[wdteipen]

I've always thought of it the way Tyler does with the front of the bowl facing you if the pipe was in your gob. This does bring up a very interesting point. We all use certain terms but I've not seen a chart representing the pipe parts nomenclature specificly for the pipemaker. I wonder if we, as a group, could come up with one. It would add clarity to our critiques I think. I've taken the liberty to put together the start of a chart. Add comments or alternative nomenclature as you see fit.

[andrew]

that is some fancy chart makin'....

anything that looks that good must be right....

Once we switch 11 and 2 the chart will be perfect

[wdteipen]

that is some fancy chart makin'....

anything that looks that good must be right....

Once we switch 11 and 2 the chart will be perfect

As in most things that you stand facing to address, the part that you face is considered the front. The same is true for pipes no matter what the majority in this thread say. Sorry.

Consider a formal example:

A drill sergeant stands in front of a formation of soldiers to give them orders. The soldiers face the drill sergeant awaiting commands. The part of the formation closest to the drill sergeant is the front as opposed to the back of the formation.

[wdteipen]

Also, it's easiest to describe the orientation of a pipe from the perspective of having the pipe in your mouth. With that in mind, left, right, front and back make more sense and is a uniform way that everyone can agree to I would think.

[Sasquatch]

You truly have a dizzying intellect.

[Sasquatch]

And by this logic, the steering wheel is.... the front of the car, hmm?

Us big-time philosophy graduates call this "Reductio ad Absurdum". It's a sort of argument judo-trick where we accept the premises provided, and show that they lead to a contradiction, therefore at least one premise is untrue.

[andrew]

that is some fancy chart makin'....

anything that looks that good must be right....

Once we switch 11 and 2 the chart will be perfect

As in most things that you stand facing to address, the part that you face is considered the front. The same is true for pipes no matter what the majority in this thread say. Sorry.

Consider a formal example:

A drill sergeant stands in front of a formation of soldiers to give them orders. The soldiers face the drill sergeant awaiting commands. The part of the formation closest to the drill sergeant is the front as opposed to the back of the formation.

What about cars????

[wdteipen]

And by this logic, the steering wheel is.... the front of the car, hmm?

Us big-time philosophy graduates call this "Reductio ad Absurdum". It's a sort of argument judo-trick where we accept the premises provided, and show that they lead to a contradiction, therefore at least one premise is untrue.

So, what's your rationale for the part that is farthest from you while the pipe is in your mouth being the "front"?

[wdteipen]

Let's drill this down a bit and go from there. How about standardizing the orientation of the pipe when referencing the parts? I vote for pipe in mouth orientation or stem facing you.

[andrew]

That's easy, the stem is the "steering wheel"!!!