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This is a Zulu I recently finished. a couple flaws turned up on the rim but if I carved them out I think it would have shortened the bowl too much and compromise the overal shape so I left them. I tried making the bowl concave to see if I could make them disappear that way but no such luck. I had some difficulty getting this one completely symmetrical. It's still not quite right. It also doesn't like to have it's picture taken because I can't seem to get a decent one. I also think the bowl needs to be a bit more canted. I could use some feedback on this one.

For a classic zulu, you need a bit more cant, a bit more shank (the shank and bowl height should be about the same), and the stem should be about as long as the stummel.

The bowl needs slimming down at the top, and the front and back of the bowl need to be less rounded from top to bottom, so there's not as much taper, and the shank needs thickening up and needs to be more oval. The shank should be about 17mm wide where it meets the stem and as wide as the bowl where those two meet, with a nice taper(side to side) between them. There should be a very gradual taper from bowl to button.

The stem should have about as much bend as a prince shape which is very little, just enough to know it's there.

The classic zulu is usually about a group 4 size. I can't tell from the pics what size yours is, so this is just general info.

Overall, yours is a very nice pipe, and you could call it a zulu variant, but if you're going for a classic zulu, then these changes need to be made.

Nice finish on yours too!

Here are some pics of one of my zulus:








Hope all of this helps,

Rad

Looks like you got all the advice you needed there. Not that i could have given any but.... Zulu sounds like a dance btw *starts improvising*

No comments on mr. davis work there. Blows my teeth out just to look at it.

Excellent feedback. Thanks Rad.

Nice finish! And thanks Rad, for telling all our rookies what a Zulu is supposed to look like.

I think both pipes are excellent. I don't think an artist should be confined by tradition. Looks like a good interpretation. Rad awesome work.

pennsyscot wrote:I think both pipes are excellent. I don't think an artist should be confined by tradition. Looks like a good interpretation. Rad awesome work.

Thanks for the kind words!

If you're going to attempt a classic shape, then you are going to be confined by tradition.

Otherwise, what's the point?

Rad

The famous composition teacher, Nadia Boulanger, said that "great art likes chains. The greatest artists have created art within bounds, or else have created their own chains."

I really like the classic shapes. Is there a resource that gives specifics on classic shape dimensions/standards? I'm not opposed to putting one's own individual spin on a classic shape but I agree that you can no longer call it by that shape. It would have to be a variant or -esque shape.

btw- Rad, you've gotta stop posting your pipes so close to mine cause it makes mine look really bad

I've never really liked the traditional zulu shape, but I *do* really like it when the oval shape of the stem and shank is brought all the way to the top of the bowl. It seems to flow a little better as a unit.

But, I also agree my take is not a traditional shape.

wdteipen wrote:Is there a resource that gives specifics on classic shape dimensions/standards?

http://www.aspipes.org/shapes/shapes.html