Billiard

[d.huber]

This here's another attempt at making a billiard. Critique away.








Thanks to everyone who gave me photo tips for this pipe. They helped a ton!

[sandahlpipe]

Nice work, David.

The Stem seems a bit short for the overall composition. It makes the pipe look more like a stack than a billiard. Other than that, it looks pretty good!

[seamonster]

I agree with Jeremiah, more stackish, but I LIKE IT THAT WAY.
Seems playful and slightly subversive...
Blast looks great too.

cheers,
Jeremy.

[JMG]

Can't say I'm a fan of the height of the bowl, but I'm sure it is what you were going for. Other than that it all looks great. Really nice grain orientation.

[d.huber]

Nice work, David.

The Stem seems a bit short for the overall composition. It makes the pipe look more like a stack than a billiard. Other than that, it looks pretty good!

I think you're right about the stem. Overall, it seems like someone tied a rope to the top of the bowl and pulled hard. Stretched bowl with the stem too short.

Thanks, Jeremiah!

[d.huber]

I agree with Jeremiah, more stackish, but I LIKE IT THAT WAY.
Seems playful and slightly subversive...
Blast looks great too.

cheers,
Jeremy.

Thanks!

[d.huber]

Can't say I'm a fan of the height of the bowl, but I'm sure it is what you were going for. Other than that it all looks great. Really nice grain orientation.

It was but it wasn't. I'm trying to figure out this classical billiard deal and I think I'm honing in on it but haven't nailed it yet. But I'm gonna.

Thanks!

[RobEsArt]

Nice work. I'm not sure what to think of the abrupt taper on the stem. I think a graceful transition here would be appropriate.

Rob

[Joe Hinkle Pipes]

I agree with the others about the proportions of stem and bowl. I think if the bowl were 1/3 shorter it would be closer to a classic billiard.

[Literaryworkshop]

I think what we're seeing here is not so much a tall bowl (its height is the same as the stummel's length) but a short stem. Lengthen the stem, and the bowl will look shorter. On a really classic billiard, the stem/shank junction is right in the middle of the overall length of the pipe.

[Tyler]

This isn't an situation that we have to guess about. That's the thing about billiards.

The stem/shank transition should be at exactly half the length. Said another way, the stem should be the same length as the stummel. That's the problem with the stem on David's pipe.

The shank length and bowl height should be he same height.

One dimension I don't know a rule of thumb about is the diameter of the bowl in relation to the length of the bowl and diameter of the shank. We know a billiard when we see it though. On this pipe David missed that too. That's what gives it the stacked look.

[Sasquatch]

[RadDavis]

You are such a Sasbitch.

Rad

[Sasquatch]

I spend six hours drawing and redrawing the perfect billiard, in order to illuminate my friend, and you just wanna pick and pick and pick, huh?

I think I might buy a pipe from you and smoke Mixture 79 in it, Rad. How's that feel?

[d.huber]

I think Tyler and Todd nail it.

Here's the confusing thing for me and I hope you guys can help. I made one with the stem the full length of the stummel but it looked too long so I've shortened it to be as long as the flat bottom of the stummel (shank end to bottom of the bowl where the line swoops up) but it now looks too short.

I'm starting to learn that there's a lot more at play than just the simplest measurements of the pipe. Even if the ratios are essentially correct, a billiard may still look wrong if the bowl is to skinny or too fat, if the shank has the wrong taper on it, or the bottom line curves up too early or too late. Am I on the right track with this thinking or am I getting colder?

[d.huber]

Thanks again for that image, Todd. I saved it for reference.

[sandahlpipe]

From what I understand, David, you're spot on. Bowl diameter affects how tall the bowl must be to have proper proportions. I'm about 15 attempts in so far in getting a good billiard and still off every time.

[seamonster]

David,
I still say it's an awesome PIPE,
maybe it's not an awesome BILLIARD.
word,
Jeremy.

[Charl]

I know what you mean, David. If the stem is exactly the same length of the stummel, it does look too long for me as well. I normally make it just a tad shorter.

[Joe Hinkle Pipes]

I think we are looking at a billiard with an "american" eye. In the new US style of billiard the shank is thicker and stem shorter, rather than being english or Italian. Or maybe im totally wrong.