Freehand Def

[LexKY_Pipe]

What is the official pipedom definition of a freehand?

[bscofield]

I also think the majority of pipes that have a stem that requires no stem/shank even-ness could be considered freehand (but not all of course). I guess anyone could take a bent billiard and throw in a freehand stem and call it either/or. But that type of stem is an easy way to define "freehand" most of the time.

random, I think that what stands out to me about a danish freehand is how far off center the bottom of the arch is. In other words, the bottom curve/line has a "lowest point" to it. On danish freehand it appears to me to be usually way past the center point of the bowl.

That's what stands out to me anyway...

[Brendhain]

Any pipe where the pipemaker used a "freehand" is a freehand pipe, hence the name.

[Jeffery]

I personally think that a freehand is a pipe that has had most of the shaping done by hand (i.e. no brazer involved).

[alexanderfrese]

I personally think that a freehand is a pipe that has had most of the shaping done by hand (i.e. no brazer involved).

I think, that’s the origin of the term. Allthough all classic, definite shapes don't have to use automized processes, the shapes that only can be done freehanded were first called freehands.
Allthough one certainly doesn't get beaten for using the "wrong" term, I believe, the name freehand should be reserved to those shapes, that don't fit into the given categories. The decision between a variation of such classic shape and a freehand is rather hard to make. I personally would always stick to the variation-nomenclature as long as possible, until you have something that is nothing of them all.
But no one ever orders a pipe by sheer text description. We all look at pictures or want to touch ‘em first. So in the end it's of less importance.

But the freehand-style discussion still is a good subject for pipesmoker’s gathering events to fill an evening starting rather quiet… No sense in it at all, but controverse discussion guaranteed.