question on proportion.

[irish_lord99]

Right off the bat I'll say that I have searched around the forum before posting this, but wasn't able to find anything too helpful. If there is a thread that details some hard-and-fast rules about proportions in pipe-making, then I'd be grateful for a link to that thread.

So, I'm on my 4th pipe now: I don't know if it fits into a particular category style-wise. My first three were traditional shapes and I wanted to do something different.

My question is, is this stem ridiculously small for this size stummel? It feels right when I hold it or pretend to smoke it, but I can't decide if I like the look of it, or does it just look silly? Is this another 'eye of the beholder' situation, or is this a clear pipe-maker's foul? It wouldn't be difficult to fit another stem to the stummel if I wanted to.

I'd like to hear some other people's thoughts.

Thanks,
~Jake

[Sasquatch]

This is that weird murky ground where the experienced guys will all say the same thing and the new guy is thinking "What are they BASING this on?"

So, here's the deal: that stem looks too small for that pipe.

Based on what? Well, based on ordinary pipe proportions. Stem is usually roughly half the pipe, and if you like, it's probably related to the bowl height as well. And the shank length.

A pipe like this works with a small stem if the stem is REALLY small and some other part of the pipe makes up for it - a long shank, for example. So in this case you have basically pretty ordinary proportions between the shank and the bowl, and the stem looks small because of it.

[irish_lord99]

That was fast! Thanks for that. I'll take a look at fitting another stem in the morning and see if I can come up with something better. As for the stem... I'm thinking maybe a nose warmer for #5?

[Sasquatch]

While you're at it, design a stem that fits the rest of the stummel - your wood carving is round, fluid. The stem as of now is this straight-line, cut-shouldered thing that has absolutely no aesthetic relation to the stummel. In fact it looks like you've taken a picture of a pipe half way through eating another pipe.

[irish_lord99]

Well, I'm still using pre-fab stems at this point. I'll look at my selection at hand and see if I can find something that fits better.

I'm traditionally far better at technical work than I am at aesthetic judgement. This is definitly a learning process.

[pipedreamer]

Sas is right.The big word is aesthetic balance.For that pipe to be a nose warmer, your stem would have to be wider, with some meat, translated, it looks good, or a long graceful stem to make up for depth of that bowl.Look at the many applications of stems on different pipes and you will get the idea. Balance, pleasing to the eye.

[irish_lord99]

Okay, I'm not sure if this is better or not stylistically , but I think it's a better size. I'm not married to it, but the only other stem I have that might work is a really long churchwarden stem. The rest are either too small or too awkward.

The other option is just to save the stummel until I start making my own stems.

[Sasquatch]

Definitely better.

The learning curve was steep for lots of us, don't feel alone!

Get comfortable with the process of fitting and shaping, and then move into cutting your own stems - then you have full artistic control and more importantly, you have to think about what the thing is going to look like, rather than just taking some pre-existing shape and size and hoping it magically works.

[irish_lord99]

Sounds good. Thanks for all the help!