Acorn #1 and #2

[RobEsArt]

I completed two pipes yesterday. They are loosely based on one of my favorite pipes in my collection, a Bjarne Acorn.

Acorn #1, the stummel and shank extension are both Algerian plateaux briar, the stem is Cumberland (with an integral tenon), and I installed a delrin mortise sleeve.

Acorn #2 features an Algerian plateaux briar stummel, the shank extension is Brazilian Rosewood and Maple, and the stem is hand-cut acrylic tortoise shell. (This pipe was a commissioned pipe for a luthier.) I installed a delrin mortise sleeve.

Critiques appreciated.



Acorn #1









Acorn #2










Thank you for viewing.

[wdteipen]

I like these two pipes overall. I especially like #1. They both could use a little bit more refining on the shape. I think your buttons are a bit too thin and the slots could use some tidying up. The stem on #2 doesn't work for me. I think something more understated would work better because you have a lot going on visually with your shank. There's a lot of really good things going on with these pipes too. The shank inlays on #2 look really nice and well done. The drilling on both look spot on. The blast and finishes especially on #1 look very appealing. Nice work.

[W.Pastuch]

I like the darker one very much.
It looks well made, the button might actually be a bit too small, but drilling is spot-on, tenon and mortise look very nice, the shank extension looks beautiful.
There is one thing that would stop me from buying this pipe as a customer- I love the shank, the lines are very nice, but the bowl shape isn't very harmonious. The shank has very good flow but the bowl breaks this flow, I think the smooth band on the rim is also unnecessary. I think you could improve the shape of the bowl, maybe make it a bit narrower towards the top to give it a more flowing line, all the way from the shank to the rim.
The second pipe has the same shape problem (to me), the shank isn't as nice and the colored acrylic mouthpiece is something I do not like at all, but that's a strictly personal preference.

Nice job overall! Make more!

[RobEsArt]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback.

I see now the smallishness of the buttons. I 'test' the stems throughout shaping, and since I changed my holding technique several years ago, I apparently forget some folks still use their molars to hold the pipe. I will resolve to make the button a little larger front to back in the future.

The stem on #2 is my first integral tenon acrylic stem I've completed. It took three tries to get it right. Each attempt varied slightly. I liked the first one the best, but after lathe work, at the belt sander, I dropped it and the tenon snapped off... Not a happy moment.

As for the stem material choice, the customer/friend requested tortoise shell. We discussed the shank extension and stem at great length, and decided to use materials he uses in guitar making.

As for the blast(s)... The first pipe had a really nice ring grain layout, so I blasted it as deep as I could with the media in the cabinet at the university. The second one I chose a light blast... looking for that old leather appearance and texture (in anticipation of friends preference).

I'm a big fan of the acorn shape. What would you suggest to refine it?

Thank you, Rob