PITH 2019!!!

[PeskyPrussian]

Great... You guys just voted for making fancy-ass TABLES.

Don't believe me? Type "live edge plateaux" into Goggle Snearch:


https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm ... REeCowJH4M

Excellent! Table in the hat competition would be fun. This is all about pushing our boundaries, right? On second thought, the shipping costs might be tough...

[PremalChheda]

Neat!

Are there any other restrictions that we want to apply to that category? I recall last year that we went with a more definite theme as opposed to a broad theme on LL's suggestion, the argument being that a heavier set of restrictions provides more context upon which to base the assessment of people's pipes.

Not that I'm complaining. This theme combined with the KC show theme means that pipe makers can pretty much continue to work on whatever they feel like through the summer and simply pick out a few to send when the time comes.

I’m not sure if there can really be any restrictions but for myself, I will try to highlight the plateaux in my design.

[seamonster]

Okay, cool!

Now to start the conversation:

I've only made a couple that have plateaux left on, as I've never really liked the look. However, I've experimented in the last week or so
with one where I left just a ring of plateaux around the outside edge of the bowl, and then sanded the between that ring and the chamber hole. Some great birdseye was exposed, and this looks great.

I'm would love to hear about some other approaches, or ways to think about leaving the plateaux that might seem more natural, or thoughtful, or interesting than maybe the obvious of turning a bowl and leaving the plateaux....

Thoughts?

[PeskyPrussian]

Okay, cool!

Now to start the conversation:

I've only made a couple that have plateaux left on, as I've never really liked the look. However, I've experimented in the last week or so
with one where I left just a ring of plateaux around the outside edge of the bowl, and then sanded the between that ring and the chamber hole. Some great birdseye was exposed, and this looks great.

I'm would love to hear about some other approaches, or ways to think about leaving the plateaux that might seem more natural, or thoughtful, or interesting than maybe the obvious of turning a bowl and leaving the plateaux....

Thoughts?

I think it looks good when a surface cuts gradually through the plateaux, so you get a sort of gradient effect between birdseye and full plateaux surface.

[RickB]

However, I've experimented in the last week or so
with one where I left just a ring of plateaux around the outside edge of the bowl, and then sanded the between that ring and the chamber hole. Some great birdseye was exposed, and this looks great.

That looks awfully nice and was more or less where my plan was landing for now. That or including a patch on the underside somewhere.
What I don't plan on doing is a big ugly freehand lollipop like my first kit pipes

[Rshey]

I like seeing birdeye also, This is one I did awhile ago. Are we leaving all the plateaux,or is this okay?

[seamonster]

This is a WIP shot of the one I mentioned.

Sent from my bloopty-bloop, using hooty-hoo.

[ricebiscuit]

Im in Premal!

[professor_throway]

Arghh.. That means I have to buy briar. I have some good ebauchon blocks sitting on my workbench, leaving plenty of room for mistakes and do overs. Way to ramp up the pressure!

[Massis]

ah what the heck, count me in! I'll try to get one done this year

Although I do personally believe we should restrict the category slightly by saying "No 'Danish' freehands". You see the PITH is all about becoming a better pipe carver. If there is ever a "shape" abused by new carvers it's the "freehand", where they just make something bloblike with no definition, call it "freehand" and say "I ment for it to look this way!"

Or the other option: drill 2 holes in a plateaux block and simply finish the block as is.

As in, great example of live plateaux:


terrible example:


great grain, but still terrible in my opinion:



I think one of the best pipemakers in regards to using live plateaux accents is Micah!
https://www.yetipipe.com/past-works

[Janka]

ah what the heck, count me in! I'll try to get one done this year

Although I do personally believe we should restrict the category slightly by saying "No 'Danish' freehands". You see the PITH is all about becoming a better pipe carver. If there is ever a "shape" abused by new carvers it's the "freehand", where they just make something bloblike with no definition, call it "freehand" and say "I ment for it to look this way!"

Or the other option: drill 2 holes in a plateaux block and simply finish the block as is.

As in, great example of live plateaux:


terrible example:


great grain, but still terrible in my opinion:



I think one of the best pipemakers in regards to using live plateaux accents is Micah!
https://www.yetipipe.com/past-works

I agree, perhaps we could limit "live edge" by adding another criteria through another vote pool? For example a dublin or cutty...

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk

[cpd2186]

Premal, I'm in.... See you Sunday to get a block!

[professor_throway]

]I agree, perhaps we could limit "live edge" by adding another criteria through another vote pool? For example a dublin or cutty...

Maybe instead requiring a shape it makes more sense to require that each maker document their design process in some way.

For newbies like me, it can be as simple as "This is the pipe I was emulating," and we can get advice as to where we went wrong.

More seasoned members can document their initial design via a sketch, photo, or in words. Then they can note changes they made along the way and why. This will allow feedback on their overall final design but also on the process (plus help us new guys out to see the whole design process).

Just a thought.

[Massis]

]I agree, perhaps we could limit "live edge" by adding another criteria through another vote pool? For example a dublin or cutty...

Maybe instead requiring a shape it makes more sense to require that each maker document their design process in some way.

For newbies like me, it can be as simple as "This is the pipe I was emulating," and we can get advice as to where we went wrong.

More seasoned members can document their initial design via a sketch, photo, or in words. Then they can note changes they made along the way and why. This will allow feedback on their overall final design but also on the process (plus help us new guys out to see the whole design process).

Just a thought.

I like the idea of documenting your design, but it can easily be circumvented by reverse engineering your design :p

[oklahoma red]

PITH started as a way to help new carvers. Let's not over-complicate the process. Live edge has been chosen. I say make anything you want that has a live edge and let it be critiqued for what it is, even a Danish "Freehand". As is usually the case, probably half of the participants will drop out. Don't burden the "rules" and cause even more to bail.

[PremalChheda]

PITH started as a way to help new carvers. Let's not over-complicate the process. Live edge has been chosen. I say make anything you want that has a live edge and let it be critiqued for what it is, even a Danish "Freehand". As is usually the case, probably half of the participants will drop out. Don't burden the "rules" and cause even more to bail.

IAWOR

The theme is “Live edge plateaux “. It’s good to encourage each other to make something other than a standard dublinish freehand or blob with stem inserted, but ultimately each maker must decide for themselves. For those that are new to pipe making, the challenges are numerous and something simple may be their best option. For the experienced, the challenge is to utilize the plateaux in a new way or creative way.

[RickB]

Although I do personally believe we should restrict the category slightly by saying "No 'Danish' freehands". You see the PITH is all about becoming a better pipe carver. If there is ever a "shape" abused by new carvers it's the "freehand", where they just make something bloblike with no definition, call it "freehand" and say "I ment for it to look this way!"

Or the other option: drill 2 holes in a plateaux block and simply finish the block as is.

terrible example:


great grain, but still terrible in my opinion:

Those terrible examples are pretty much indistinguishable from the first 15 pipes I did before I decided to start trying to get serious about 2 years ago. What's sad is that I thought they were pretty good at the time because they looked like every other 'Danish freehand' blob I'd ever seen.

[TallazPiper]

I am in!

Sounds like fun!

[Massis]

Those terrible examples are pretty much indistinguishable from the first 15 pipes I did before I decided to start trying to get serious about 2 years ago. What's sad is that I thought they were pretty good at the time because they looked like every other 'Danish freehand' blob I'd ever seen.

I mean my first pipes DEFINITELY sucked. Not sure if my current ones don't still. But I was informed enough to at least make a basic pipe and quickly learned my pipes sucked.

Still remember my first live plateaux pipe, a reverse calabash design even... This was my 22nd pipe. Although I ended up completely reworking the button before sending it out.
It did have amazing grain though, and I'm told it still smokes great 4 years later, as it was bought by a good friend.
Also I just counted that I've only made 56 pipes to date



Anyway, my point was simply that "include live plateaux" is the absolute best category to end up with a bunch of lumpy danish freehands.
I guess it's up to the fellow participants to show me wrong, and I hope (maybe even expect?) them to do so.

[LatakiaLover]

When a shooting contest's target is any tree on a wooded hillside, it's hard to miss.

The reason this board has (strongly!) recommended that aspiring carvers avoid flights of fancy until they've absorbed the fundamentals---and can demonstrate that fact with examples---is to avoid the shitshow that inevitably follows "feelings driven" designs.