Smooth Canadian

[mejoshee]

Here's my first pipe for critique! Be gentle (but honest).













   

[sandahlpipe]

Not bad for a first pipe. It's not perfect, but there's a lot to like about it. The finish is decent, and you don't have the bowl/shank junction looking like the typical blob.

Personally, I think you should have skipped the shank extension. It doesn't look right to have a shank extension that long, and it looks like you've lined a good part of the airway with a stainless tenon. Unless you also have some sort of tenon between your shank extension pieces or you roughed up the pieces before epoxying it together, you'll probably have it come apart.

The other thing I would suggest working on for your next one is the cheeks of the bowl. The left and right sides of the bowl have different lines, and the bottom third of the bowl curves more like a Dublin than a billiard bowl when viewing from the shank side.

Finally, a Canadian does not have a saddle stem. A lumberman does.

[PremalChheda]

Here's my first pipe for critique! Be gentle (but honest).

If you want gentle, go post on a collector's forum.

If you want honest, this is the right place.

Can't have both.

[BrianMadsen]

Well, it is possible to be honest in a gentle way.

[PremalChheda]

Well, it is possible to be honest in a gentle way.

Yes, it is, but the reader may see it differently no matter how gentle you are trying to be. Better to be honest and not worry about trying to be gentle for critiques.

It has been discussed before. Why would you want someone to be gentle on critique? They may have to hold back and then you will not get the real help from the critique that you need.

[andrew]

The corrections you get here will be well intentioned and helpful, but you need a thick skin due to the fact that it's not face to face interaction. That's mostly what is meant by "honest". When info is conveyed clearly and concisely it can sound harsh in written form.

[calsbeek]

Why is your first pipe stamped 15?

[PremalChheda]

Why is your first pipe stamped 15?

2015?

[NathanA]

Here's my first pipe for critique! Be gentle (but honest).

If you want gentle, go post on a collector's forum.

If you want honest, this is the right place.

Can't have both.

Nice job, Premal. You've managed to be neither gentle nor give any actual critique.




As far as the pipe goes there are some really nice things here. Shank is nice and straight which is tough on something this long. From what I can see the finish looks good (although the rim looks a bit odd. could be lighting). The stem is nicely done as well.

The things that could be worked on from button forward are: 1) The button is pretty small. If the customer has to sand or buff it over the long run you are going to run out of material. 2) A radius on the saddle would look much nicer than the abrupt right angle approach. Use a round file there instead of a flat one. 3) The shank extension/stem inlay is (gently put) really bad. It is way too long, first. Second, the ebonite wafer between inlay and shank should be thin and subtle; this one is massive to say the least. Last, stem inlays should contrast with the stummel; this just looks like you added a piece of the cut off briar because you didn't have a long enough block to begin with. The actual execution of the stem/inlay is pretty good, the design/concept isn't. 4) The transition area between shank and bowl is way too abrupt, almost a right angle. Like the saddle of the stem, this needs to have some radius to it so the pipe doesn't look like two disparate parts stuck together. It should be well defined but still "flow". 5) The flat rim is too reminiscent of factory pipe mentality. There is some discussion of the right way to go but I can say that I am 100% correct (yes, this is sarcastic, but also true) when I say that the rim should be domed/rounded (definitely not concave/chamfered).

All in all, a good pipe. Keep it up.

[Ratimus]

He said this was his first pipe "for critique;" never necessarily said this was his first pipe. Just sayin'.

[Charl]

I think Nathan about covered it all.
The fact that you are getting all this, should mean something in itself. Go make more!
(And please forgive Premal, it might just be an off day, although all he said is very true.)

[LatakiaLover]

(And please forgive Premal, it might just be an off day, although all he said is very true.)

Premal has done more---courteously, tirelessly, and with infinite patience---to educate, assist, and support pipe carvers than anyone else I know. Or have even heard of. Not just in the sense of time and knowledge, either, but money out of his pocket.

When uninflected, matter-of-fact straight talk from a goddam expert (in both giving instruction AND doing) starts getting interpreted as "having an off day" and he's implicitly scolded for it, the human race is fucking doomed.

[PremalChheda]

Gentle Critique is pointless in my mind. That is why I did not critique this pipe.

My initial statement was not meant to be harsh, but it was read that way by some of you. Same thing can happen with critiques.

Expect harsh critique and then all will be good, and the poster gets the help they really need.

[NathanA]

Ok, George and Premal. I was only joking. Come on fellas, relax a little.

[PremalChheda]

Ok, George and Premal. I was only joking. Come on fellas, relax a little.

[NathanA]

I'll work harder at making sure my sarcasm comes through more clearly.

[mejoshee]

I've been unable to login today due to switching my email.

Anyway, I guess I should also have worked on my sarcasm as I know "gentle" gets us nowhere.

First I want to thank you all for being honest. Nathan, you hit it on the head: flat top was at the request of the future owner. I could go either way honestly, but I know the trend/trajectory is towards chamfered or concave rims, which I expect to aim for in the future.

As for the extension, sigh. It was what I didn't want to have to do; it was too short without, as you guessed. Did I calculate the right proportions? No, I concede it was too slapdash. I feel like the recovery was OK considering, but I hope to never have to do it again. In retrospect I should have left well alone on the shank/bowl junction too.

And by all means, Premal, I would be very glad to hear your input despite the tone of the entry into this thread. Can I take it?

Oh and Jeremiah, the steel tenon is probably only 1 1/4" stitching the extension together.

[PremalChheda]

Nathan gave a better critique than I would have. Sorry for hijacking.

[sandahlpipe]

When you're glueing up shank extensions, the general rule of thumb is that you want as much surface area for glue as possible. If I were to do an inlay such as yours, I'd make a tenon on the briar to insert into the inlay. I do use short pieces of stainless for things such as bamboo where I don't have the option of as much surface area. Then again, I've seen bamboo from high grade makers separate from the stummel after a few years. My bamboo pipes haven't been around long enough for me to see if that will happen to mine, but I hope not.

[Charl]

George/Premal, it was meant as a joke.
I've been here on PMF a long time, I know how it works and appreciate guys like you.