pipemakersforum.com

Here is my first finished pipe for Chicago:

Ben,

If it were me (which I realize it's not) I would put a lot less bend in the stem. It is always better to have a stem slightly under-bent than over-bent, but this may just have been a design element. A prince is just a straight apple with a quarter-bent stem after all.

Todd

ToddJohnson wrote:Ben,

If it were me (which I realize it's not) I would put a lot less bend in the stem. It is always better to have a stem slightly under-bent than over-bent, but this may just have been a design element. A prince is just a straight apple with a quarter-bent stem after all.
Todd

I might take a look at that... I found a ding in the stem that I have to sand out anyway... The most "planning" I did on this pipe was wanting to "play" with the bottom line. So, because the bottom line is STRETCHED (IMO) I just wanted to see how best to compensate on the stem. I have to admit that this was a first bend and I didn't really look at any other

Thanks. As always, the advice is appreciated.

P.S. I think it's worth mentioning that the contrast stain is done with black marker. Thanks for the tip Todd!

Ben

Good looking pipe my friend.

When I bend stems, I try to get the plane of the last 1/2 inch or so of the stem on the same plane as the top of the bowl. Don't know if that is the way it's supposed to be or not, just how I do it. Looking at the pipes in my collection that I have bought over the years, it seems that is how most pipe makers do this.

marks wrote:When I bend stems, I try to get the plane of the last 1/2 inch or so of the stem on the same plane as the top of the bowl. Don't know if that is the way it's supposed to be or not, just how I do it. Looking at the pipes in my collection that I have bought over the years, it seems that is how most pipe makers do this.

I have made a contious effort to do that in the past. Most recently I've just been letting it hang out of my mouth and seeing how it feels (or held in the hand if it's not a clencher).