Hi,
There are a few things you wrote that I do not agree with or do not understand, but first, you're welcome for the link however keep looking at other examples. I did not mean to suggest that particular shape. It's simply one of many examples. The more you see and think about to understand why they work, the better you will understand what to do with yours.
Sasquatch wrote:If I was to do a "totally grain sensitive" pipe, the back and front would be flat, and the sides would get wider towards the front of the pipe.
Both your points are probably not correct at the same time.
Usually birds-eye grain is perpendicular to straight grain.
Review what you wrote and think about this statement.
The easy visual is to simply lay your open hand on the table with your fingers fanned open like the grain. All four fingers are pointing in a different direction. Flat across the front may be perpendicular to your middle fingers but straight across is not perpendicular to your first and last fingers.
A curve is actually what you want. Bo Nordh also did not make a perpendicular face, but he instead exaggerated the curve, bowing the front and back, but moving with the grain rather than contrary to it. That's being grain sensitive. And design sensitive, as this keeps the bowl wall thicker rather than thinner.
Sasquatch wrote:
As to the stem - the last horn I did as a "smoking" pipe and left the stem longer than it should have been for pure aesthetics, but it was extremely well balanced in the teeth. This new pipe I'm thinking is going to be more of a showpiece than a smoker for most guys who would buy it, so I would like to nail the proportions.
Um, what?
First of all your first priority is making the pipe smoke good. Everything else is secondary.
If you want to make a "show piece" don't bother drilling it. Then you can show-off even more birds-eye on the top! DO NOT proceed thinking this is some kind of show piece. Simply make the best pipe you can. Someone may keep it in a cabinet, or someone may not think it's all that, and smoke your precious while mowing the lawn. So it's best to not heap a bunch of baggage on it, that way it will not matter if someone sees it differently than you thought they should. You only need to agree, with whoever ends up with it, that it's a good smoker, not the best pipe in the world. You know it will do it's job as a fine smoker and you did the best you can with the wood. Please do not think this is the best pipe you will ever make. Next year you'll be looking back and still learning from mistakes made on this "show piece".
You seem to be doubling back on yourself here and proving yourself both wrong and right.
The last pipe was longer than it should have been but was well balanced. If it was well balanced and smoked good, then it was correct.
This one you want to get the proportions correct.
Okay, you mean like the last one?
Sasquatch wrote: The thing is a bit long and skinny (I maybe cut a bit too much from the sides) and I don't want it to be overy that way, but long and graceful I can live with. I will draw some out and see what looks good. Possibly seeing the shape with a slightly bent stem will also change things in my mind.
Appreciate the guidance.
PS are you guys thinking to bend the stem up or down? With the stem currently in there, I was thinking to bend it down, but I notice on the Nordh horn the whole thing is just one continuous curve.... can't imagine clenching it!
The Bo Nordh example probably hangs from your mouth correctly and comfortably. It's only a few degrees past straight, after all. As I said, look at more examples to see how others have done it.
Personally I would also give it a gentle and graceful bend, so that in profile the whole pipe will form a kind of flattened "lazy S".
Hope that helps.
