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I'm trying hard to get my stem work up to scratch. Would love to hear some comments!

hey charl,

thats a beautiful stain and you finished the block up nice. the button looks good. the only thing id like to add is i think the proportions are off. it looks to thick through the shank and at a weird bend. its like a fat zulu. anyway stem works looks good.
nice pipe!

Hi, Charl,

This is Bryan (the lunatic in the U.S. who had you make that pipe last summer). One of the things I really like about your pipes are the proportions of the stem to the overall length of the pipe. I don't know if you plan it this way or if it's just an unconscious way you design pipes, but most of them have a proportion of 2/5 stem. The nice thing about this example is that, with this tapered stem, you allowed the thickness of the stem to continue for a bit before you began the taper.

Of course, this is all about design/style, rather than the technical execution, which I'm not qualified to comment on.

And I like the more flowing take on a classic zulu.

Bryan

What crazy American? Aren't all of them a bit mad in any case?
Jokes aside; that's news for me, Bryan. I just eyeball the length of stem needed and that's it.

I find the pipe an uncomfortable middle ground between a hard shape with fixed edges (stem) and a flowing, graceful pipe with soft touches (most of the stummel).

More continuity would arise from a longer stem and a slight bend in said stem - make a proper zulu out of it. The line along the bottom of the pipe works with the stem, but the line along the top of the pipe totally doesn't - nice curve down onto the shank, from the bowl, and then "pop" you hit this straight taper and the pipe is done. It seems like two separate ideas.

You did wonderfully with the grain - it's cool from every angle, and the little hint of plateau does work with the relaxed shape and rim treatment, I think.

Sas, you're spot on! Something about this pipe has been bothering me and that's it!