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Hello all, please critique and feel free to rip me a new one. I had a lot of fun making this.







Cheers,
Matt

Matt, it's great to see you here! You've already heard what I have to say about this pipe, so I'll yield to the others on this forum!

Looks pretty good in lots of ways - straights are straight, thin parts thin... A little forward cant on the bowl next time will allow the shape to relax and be pretty. This one looks like it's curling up on itself because it's built at 90 degrees. For a classic billiard the whole thing is a bit too long, but that kind of thing is really hard to control for the first little while.

Go do it again!

Wish my first and only one thus far looked that good.

Not bad at all for your first pipe. Much better than my first. Listen to what these more experienced guys are saying and you'll be making some great pipes in no time.

Thanks all for the feedback and encouragement. I will cant the next one forward a few degrees. Cheers!

Matt

You can "undo" the reverse cant by bending the stem a little.

It can be a bit difficult to critique a first pipe partly because it feels like you're unloading on some poor guy who just wants to learn. At your stage making pipes and looking at pipes by some of the greats is more important than getting feedback...assuming you can see the differences between your pipe and theirs (and many cannot).

That said, it's a nice pipe and a good first. As has been mentioned, the bowl needs to cant forward slightly. The button is too short. the slope of the saddle is too gradual. The cheeks should be defined a bit more. Honestly though, it's a good first.

Thanks E Markle, I've been reading this forum for a few months and I really think that the brutally honest critiques are what make this forum valuable for all would-be pipe-makers. Can I ask you a couple questions?

The short button - front too back towards the bowl? or bottom too top -thickness?

Gradual saddle slope meaning - I keep it .17" from back of button along the stem longer than what I've got?

Cheeks - instead of a straight cylinder I need to round it a bit more too the top edge?

Cheers,
Matt

here's my next one:
7/8 tobacco chamber - I may do 3/4
5/16 chamber wall
5/32 draught hole
5/8 deep mortise

That is one fine first pipe. Did you make the stem? I assume you did since the bit is enlarged.So polish it, Then make 20 more. By the way, Welcome.

deBeaupre wrote:Can I ask you a couple questions?

The short button - front too back towards the bowl? or bottom too top -thickness?

Gradual saddle slope meaning - I keep it .17" from back of button along the stem longer than what I've got?

Cheeks - instead of a straight cylinder I need to round it a bit more too the top edge?

Cheers,
Matt

Yeah, all of these terms are difficult to pin down.

I use "button height" to describe how tall it is when this pipe is held horizontally (normally). I use "button length" to describe the distance from the front of the button (i.e. where the slot is) to the back of the button (the side facing the bowl). Buttons are largely personal preference, but a button height of about .250" is pretty standard.

On the saddle piece, I was trying to describe the radius in the transition from round to flat. A traditional saddle will have a much faster transition than yours. This is not a traditional pipe, but it illustrates the point: http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/a ... _id=106245 Note how quickly it moves from wide, round ebonite to narrow, thin ebonite. By the way .17" is a thick bit - most guys will shoot for less than .150".

We use "cheeks" to describe the continuing curvature on the back side of the bowl (the stem side) around the shank itself (not higher up the bowl as you mentioned). In your fourth image, if you start at the stem and run your eye up along the shank you'll notice it ramps up to meet the bowl. This is just extra meat that should be removed. Just to be clear, you do NOT want a right angle at that junction, but you do want a consistent radius that runs from what is clearly part of the shank to what is clearly part of the bowl.

One more thing, the specifics of how you do some of this is largely a question of style and personal preference, but if you want to make pipes that are generally considered "high grade," you don't want to deviate from these standards by very much. In other words those who buy artisanal pipes have a certain set of expectations, and the above are some of the ways your pipe doesn't fit those standards. Again, you've made a nice pipe, and if you want to you'll be able to make all of these changes (on future pipes).

Nice first. Follow the advice you've received in this thread and you'll improve.

Hope that helps.