I don't share that impression. Perhaps because I am blind, or perhaps because, if it's there, I probably had a hand in creating it. I find pursuit of high grade to be fun.Sasquatch wrote: There's a strong unspoken obligation in this community that making high grade pipes OUGHT to be the goal and I've fought that forever.
With that disclaimer in mind, I'll say I personally don't give one whit what someone else pursues in pipe making. Sas has the Grabow crowd locked down, and I'm cheering for him. Ernie has the west coast snobs, and I couldn't be happier. I like the gamut. The nature of this forum is to learn to make, and get better at making, pipes. Where you get off that train is up to you. If you post a pipe asking for critique, you're going to get it, and the standard brought to bear is high(er) grade. The point of this forum is, in my mind, to educate and push. There is certainly no obligation to pursue high grade making, but if you stick around there will be pushing. (And I think that's good.)
The alternative, in my opinion, is the slap-one-another-on-the-back, pipe-making sub-forums on normal pipe boards. Those groups seem to reach an equilibrial of mediocrity that is perfectly fine, but decidedly different than this forum. (Which again, I think is good. No reason to be the same.)
I guess the difference between how you perceive the "push" and how I perceive it is the push is intrinsic to the purpose/culture of the forum (my view), but it is not a moral mandate (your view?). And how I see the push is, slap-one-another-on-the-back, "pretty good man, do better on the next one you hoser."
You and I have talked about this, so I don't think we really disagree. I just wanted to offer a more positive take on the "push."