Tomato 9/16

[Doug535]

First shot at this shape and also at a bamboo shank extension. LMK what you think. Thanks all.

[sandahlpipe]

Ideally, you would want the spacing between the bamboo nodes to be repeated. So you'd want to see the same spacing as between the nodes to be between the final node and the bowl/shank transition as well as the same space to the stem flare. The same thing would be true of the stem length. As it stands, the stem looks either too short to repeat the length of the bamboo or the length of the briar. Find some part of the pipe to repeat and it will go from being ok to great.

Now on the execution, the stem flare doesn't work. You need to have some symmetry, as one part is a little bulbous and the other part straight. For the groove in the middle of the bamboo as it transitions onto the inlay material, make that end gracefully. I use a Flexcut RH "U" tool to carve that part out. The rest of the pipe on either end of the bamboo is actually pretty decent in terms of shaping, symmetry, and execution from what I can see.

[DocAitch]

I think that technically this is a very good pipe.
I find the proportion between shank diameter and bowl size to be a little disconcerting, but I would not change either. More a matter of personal taste, I think. It seems that you were limited by your bamboo diameter. I can see Jeremiah's suggestions.
The only other thing that caught my eye was the bottom of the transition. I think that it would be sharper if the 2 valleys between shank and bowl were carried a bit further toward the bottom pf the bowl.
DocAitch

[Doug535]

Thanks Jeremiah and Doc, was not sure exactly how to execute and terminate with the bamboo, if that makes any sense. T'was a fun one to do, I will have to get out and get some hands on looks at a few pipes to help me grasp some of the things you guys mentioned. All my shaping so far has mostly been from 2 deminsional pictures.