pipemakersforum.com

Please let me know what I can do to get better.

Focus on straight lines. You can see the light reflections are bowed on the pictures. Those indicate the lines aren't straight. If you're using a flat file for shaping, hold it askew as you're shaping to keep the lines straight. Use a straight edge to check your work. The shank ought to be 100% flat.

The other thing to improve is the finish. The areas that look dull on the stem are indicative of places where it wasn't sanded as well. Especially right behind the button.

Thank you. I see what you mean with the light reflection. and the dull area. I will work on the sanding and the straight lines.

You also might want to narrow your shank down on the bowl end and define the bottom line so that there is no sag below the main line of the bottom of the shank.
DocAitch

Thank you DocAitch, I will work on that. That would also give me a better line along the bottom.

Something I've read on here before - uttered by far smarter men than I - was "there's still a pretty nice pipe hiding in there".
As a newer carver, it's very easy to get a little chickenshit while shaping in fear of getting something too thin or too small. Doing billiards has helped me in this area for sure, but the main thing I've been trying to do is plan well before I start cutting anything, and then repeating to myself while carving "Stick true to the geometry... Don't carve scared..." as a mantra.

Find a decently shaped pipe to use as a model, and copy it as best you can.

The end.

(Sounds smartass, but it IS the answer, and NOT drawing the straightest possible lines between points is no service to you in the end.)

RickB, your right its easy to worry about taking to much off or getting it to thin while shaping.

Latakialover, I will find a shape to copy.

I still struggle with getting the bowl symmetrical.

Getting a pipe symmetrical is always the challenge.
It gets a little easier over time, but is always a challenge. There are lots of methods ranging from simple eyeball comparison side to side to silhouette forms to actually using a molding gauge.
I just sent one off to the GKCPC contest that I noted was asymmetric in a photo AFTER it was in the mail. The first thing I did when I got it back was to re cut it.
DocAitch