Horn

[T3pipes]

forgot to add a reference item in the pic.

6 1/2 inch long
2 1/2 tall
1 1/2 wide at the top of the bowl

[baweaverpipes]

Reminds me of:

[Thomas Tkach]

The whole thing is very curvy until the stem/shank junction and stem. I think they should both continue the curviness of the rest of the pipe.

As to the resemblance to the stomach, I think it would help if the up-curve of the shank was not so drastic. It seems the bottom line comes up to meet the top more than the top comes to meet the bottom as it tapers.

Feel free to critique my critique, I'll take it like a man.

[RadDavis]

Reminds me of:

Gaaah!!

That picture has sphincters in it!

Rad

[kbadkar]

Okay, I have to ask, since others haven't. How does that grooved anti-button work? Is it comfortable to clench this by the pyloric sphincter?

[T3pipes]

I don't like buttons, i tend to clench. This one is a little to fat with the taper, so I may have to flatten it out some.

[ToddJohnson]

I hope you don't take this wrong, but as a "pipe," this is bad. If you're just basically saying "hey, look at what I made," that's totally cool, and I will never offer my thoughts again. If, however, you're working towards a goal of making handsome salable pipes, this would be my advice. Back off the artsy shapes and try to work on something more conventional. Use stem blanks until you can cut a recognizable pipe stem by hand. Make every pipe entirely smooth without worrying about pits. This will allow you to work on your finishing technique and maintaining the integrity of a shape. Focus on improving a particular aspect of your work with each pipe. Slow down and don't try to develop 50 pipes worth of skill in five pipes. It never happens and it's an easy way to fizzle out. Keep at it.

TJ

[T3pipes]

This was not a "look what I made". This was not an attempt at an artsy pipe, but an attempt at what i thought was a conventional shape, a horn, using the shape and grain of the briar.



I can, and do, make stems with buttons, but this type is more comfortable for my bite.

Are only billiards considered conventional? Other than the stem, why is this a bad pipe?

[staffwalker]

I suspect had you continued the half moon curve throughout the pipe it would have more closely resembled a conventional horn. The abrupt reversing of the curve into a 'S' shape jars the senses. Or at most, it jars my senses. bob

[wdteipen]

It looks like a cross between a horn and a hawkbill. An interesting combination and certainly not conventional. While Todd's reply lacks some tact (he's not known for sugar coating) I have to agree with him. Don't take it personal. While the overall composition of this pipe doesn't really work there is plenty of positive things about it. Especially the thoughtful consideration of the use of the grain. The right to left symmetry looks good as far as I can see in the photos. There was a lengthy thread awhile back about aspiring pipemakers and hobbyists trying to reinvent the pipe craft that is worth the read. As for constructive criticism, the pipe has some peaks and valleys in several spots especially as you get closer to the stem. The stem is too fat and tapers unevenly. The rim is our of round/asymmetrical as if not enough briar was removed from the corners of the block. The airway at the bit end isn't slotted. Unless you are doing a P-lip you're not likely to find many who feel this airway would provide an unrestricted enough smoke and most would say that it is likely to have moisture issues. The bit is pretty thick too. I can appreciate that you prefer this type of bit but I wouldn't expect too many others to give it great reviews. If it works for you and the pipe is for you then make the bit how you like it. The top of the shank bowl junction needs more material taken off. In fact, the entire pipe looks as though it needs more elbow grease. Keep at it.

[Sasquatch]

T3 I will offer some more "exact" elements that "don't work", not to beat you up, but so that you can learn (as I am learning) what makes things look better or worse on a pipe. I did not at first think that such criticisms were objective, but now either I work within a paradigm within which they are objective, or the pipe buying crowd shares enough common ground to make it near enough objective to make no difference.

So.

The stem is heavily tapered, and a half inch in, it looks over a quarter inch thick. No way is that comfy in the first place - I don't want my mouth half open to have a pipe in my teeth. So even on a pipe like a Canadian, with a real short stem, they usually have a flat spot after the button (or a saddle stem). Now, if this worked harmoniously with the rest of the pipe, it would be let go, but the fact is, after the stem widens out, the pipe does not - there's a "flat" section, so we don't have a smooth line from stem to stummel. That end of the pipe looks like it belongs on a big Italian Lovat.

After that straight spot, the pipe "melts" abrubtly into this swooping hawkbill shape. It's curved nicely enough, but it's really, really heavy. What's it weigh? The net result is that it does in fact look something like a piece of liver... round and plump and shiny! I don't suspect I could clench that pipe for 2 minutes without fatigue, and the overall look is a really heavy, blocky piece.

Most curved horns have continued curves on the stem, or a reverse curve. I was once told that "there are no straight lines in nature" and if a horn is a natural shape, it doesn't get straight lines.

Imagine the difference on this pipe if the mortise was aimed downward about 15 degrees, instead of being horizontal - then you could bend the stem back to horizontal and you'd have a flowing shape. I'm going to condescend to post a picture of an earlier horn of mine - not that it's the greatest horn anyone ever made but you can see the ideas I'm talking about. This horn is half the size of yours and I was still told to take material off (correctly - it looked objectively better after this picture, and sold quickly).



Now looking at this one, I would say that the bend in the stem is too abrubt - the whole stem should curve, and in fact the stem is too long, visually. If it was shorter and more curved the piece would have been better. But compare the smooth sweeping curve of the underside to yours, which has a curve, a flat section, and then this highly tapered stem.

If you look at a lot of danish horns (Nordh in particular) the curve is not reversed, but just continues along the stem, making a true "hunting horn" sort of shape. I would say it's more beautiful but maybe less smokeable.... but the idea remains in offering a smooth set of curves and a unified idea in the shape.


Billiards are not the only conventional shape. Bulldogs, billiards, apples, princes, dublins... all are very typical of the "machineable english pipe". It is easier to say "too big" "too small" "too lumpy" etc on these shapes because there is a definite pattern established in the shaping. If you get too far off the establish pattern, the pipe starts to look unbalanced, and it's easier to see this (for a less experienced maker) on these established, concretely defined shapes, than on a freehand shape like a horn.

I've given a very similar answer to a lot of freehands on this board. Early freehands are notoriously blocky, totally lack flow and often completely fail to look like anything other than what they are, which is amateur-carved. It's much easier to try and make a billiard and compare it to other billiards. And when you get good at that, if you go back and make a freehand egg or horn, the thing will look far better because a guy is learning ideas like "balance" and "cohesion" and "flow" while he learns how the "classic" pipes go together - learns that which makes them classics.

[TimGeorge]

Hey T3, the following link has a nice description of a horn, and I think your primary issue here is running afoul of the part about "no abrupt transitions." That's easy to fix, at least on future pipes. Keep at it!

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

[T3pipes]

Because of the way the airway was drilled, my revision options were limited. So I took the easy way out and did some extensive wood removal and went basic on it.

Somehow I managed to crack the rim =( .

I would request some input on the shaping however, especially on the shank/bowl connection. Does it flair too much from the top view?









On a side note--I've discovered why the hole in the button is so large, my tail-stock is not dead center

[Sasquatch]

For a traditional billiard, I would say there is too much flare on the shank. Your lines are fairly soft here, so I think you can get away with it.

If you need a decent tailstock, Lee Valley sells a couple decent ones that are only about 30 bucks.

[Nick]

Reminds me of:

Bruce!!!

ROFLMAO!

Neat pipe.