random wrote:The question is, how does it smoke?
It smokes dry and stays lit well, which is good. But the flavor is clearly a little funky from the pipe mud. From what I've read, that should smoke off soon enough.
Did you make this from a kit, or block'n'rod?
Block and molded stem. I'm really interested in handcut stem work, but I have enough to think about for the moment. Maybe after a few more I'll give it a try.
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but the shank/stem junction is the thing about it that I like least...
I'd be disappointed if you were a dry blanket, Random. However, your comments make me realize that I mistyped earlier. I meant to say the "bowl/shank junction," otherwise the comments about balancing the curve on the other side of the bowl don't really make sense.
...but then I'm picky. See how the shank goes straight out and meets the stem nicely, then about 1/2" farther down the stem, the stem starts narrowing really fast? There's a corner there that sets my teeth on edge. Some people find it okay, some like me don't care for it; I think it breaks the lines where you don't want them broken.
Yeah, I see what you're saying. I noticed that, but let it go, either because I was fatigued from everything else or because I was feeling too timid about screwing something up that far along. Timidity probably won't get me anywhere. I agree with you - the corner interrupts the line, though it doesn't bother me to the point of setting my teeth on edge. The bottom of the stem has a flatter taper - another unintended asymmetry - but it doesn't show very clearly in the photo. Is that more to your liking? (If you can see it...)
jmo, you know everybody has an opinion.
Of course. We've been over this before...
Don't waste a second worrying about the fact that the stain didn't come out the way you wanted it to.
I think it's less that the stain is terrible (it's not that bad, and it's grown on me) than it is that I really should have done some simple practice runs first. I lack patience sometimes.
Overall I think it's a great job for a first pipe. People think it'll be easy until they actually try it.
Thanks, to you and the others for your kind words. And especially to this forum - I'd have no freaking clue where to begin without it. I never thought it would be easy, though. Which is good, because it's not.
What tools are you using to shape?
Mostly a sanding disk chucked into the lathe, along with a Dremel and some files for the bowl/shank junction. I'm interested in experimenting with other things at some point, but I want to make sure I give myself enough time to get a good feel for the disk before I decide on something else.
