PITH 2019!!!

[PremalChheda]

It's that time again!
Live edge plateaux is our theme this year!

The pipe in the hat(PITH) trade is something we do here once a year. We choose a shape or feature that participants have to make or incorporate into a pipe, and set a deadline. Once the deadline hits, we randomly generate a list of all participants, and you send your pipe to the person below you on the list. You receive the pipe from the person above you. Upon receiving your pipe, you inspect it, smoke it, and give an honest and thorough critique back to the maker. The pipe is yours to keep.
The pipe in the hat trade is designed as a tool to help you grow in your pipe making skills. It can certainly be intimidating to jump into something like this with all these more experienced people participating, but getting the type of feedback that comes with putting your pipe in the hands of someone else is much more beneficial than posting pictures. Plus you get a pipe out of it. Some of the shape requirements might seem like a big challenge, but the PITH is designed to force you out of your comfort zone and to help you get some experience in the art of pipe making.
I can't stress enough, YOUR SKILL LEVEL DOES NOT MATTER! In fact the less experience you have in pipe making, the more you have to gain from participating! The idea here is that the best way to grow is by challenging yourself. This is a great way to get some good practice and helpful feedback. The deadline will be August 15th, 2019.
If you want to participate, just post with the words "I'm in", or something to that effect and private message me if you are new to participating in the PITH. I will respond with confirmation and answer any questions you have about the PITH.
I'm in!
(Yes, I copied and pasted what Manny wrote for 2018. With a minor edit. Thanks Manny!)

By entering into the PITH you agree to do your best with the following no matter your level of expertise.
1. Take the time to produce the shape outlined to the best of your abilities and ask for guidance when needed. The end result should be some of your best work if you participate fully. (Many of us will make multiple pipes in succession in order to fully benefit from this experience)
2. Communicate with us if you encounter any problems with completing the pipe. (You may contact me privately on here or on social media as well.)
3. Give thorough feedback to the person that sends you his/her pipe. (This is the most important thing of the PITH for most of us here.)
4. Have fun and try to participate in the discussion. (Well, you don’t have to have fun but then why participate if you are not?)

This year we will be waiting until all the participants have posted their complete pipes before we draw for the PITH. The deadline for now is July 31st and we will re-evaluate as we get closer if some need an extension.


OCTEEL pic posted here
vachet pic posted here
Quietfly pic posted FB
drewdunnpipes pic posted FB
mikecouch pic posted here
miscoipipes pic posted here
2smoke pic posted here
DocAitch pic posted here
Ocelot55 pic posted here
ricebiscuit pic posted here
SLCarrico pic posted here
Ocdcoachworks pic posted FB
seamonster pic posted here
cpd2186 pic posted here
Massis pic posted here
jasonpatrick pic posted here
LifeOfBeard pic posted here
RickB pic posted here
FJWyver pic posted here
b.danielpipecraft pic posted here
LSBW pic posted FB
Janka In Progress
ronps pic posted FB
inicol pic posted here
Doug535 pic posted FB
PeskyPrussian pic posted here
dansutherlin pic posted FB
RosePipesCo pic posted FB
eric pic posted here
premalchheda pic posted here

[PremalChheda]

I forgot, we need to come up with a theme/shape! Go!

[RickB]

I'm (probably) in. I've slowed down to about 2 months a pipe since my second kiddo got here, but I'd like to participate again if I'm able to do so.
I know y'all did oval shank a couple years back, but with all of our "go carve 100 billiards" mantras here, how about a regular old billiard?

[ronps]

I'll play!!

[seamonster]

I'm in.
I like Rick's idea about a billiard.... but maybe the whole billiard family? straight or bent, Canadian, etc....

Sent from my bloopty-bloop, using hooty-hoo.

[Janka]

I'm in, although I didn't receive a pipe last year from Adirondack Pipes, and stopped getting responses. But I'm definitely going to participate this year, might as well, may i suggest a blowfish for this year

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk

[PremalChheda]

Janka,

Thank you for bringing this up. I will be able to coordinate with everyone to prevent a similar situation from happening.

[RickB]

I'm in, although I didn't receive a pipe last year from Adirondack Pipes, and stopped getting responses. But I'm definitely going to participate this year, might as well, may i suggest a blowfish for this year

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk

Wow... That really sucks, because he definitely got one from me. Premal, I've got some of his contact info if you think someone ought to check on him. Hope he's okay.

[PremalChheda]

I'm in, although I didn't receive a pipe last year from Adirondack Pipes, and stopped getting responses. But I'm definitely going to participate this year, might as well, may i suggest a blowfish for this year

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk

Wow... That really sucks, because he definitely got one from me. Premal, I've got some of his contact info if you think someone ought to check on him. Hope he's okay.

I just sent him a message on fb. Hopefully it can be resolved by him but if not, Janka will be getting an additional pipe this year.

[eric]

I'm in.

[RickB]

I'm in, although I didn't receive a pipe last year from Adirondack Pipes, and stopped getting responses. But I'm definitely going to participate this year, might as well, may i suggest a blowfish for this year

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk

Wow... That really sucks, because he definitely got one from me. Premal, I've got some of his contact info if you think someone ought to check on him. Hope he's okay.

I just sent him a message on fb. Hopefully it can be resolved by him but if not, Janka will be getting an additional pipe this year.

Cool, thank you. For what it's worth, he was pleasant in my interactions with him, but he never sent more my way than very initial impressions, so I didn't really ever get thorough feedback and as a result I'm not sure I really got the whole PITH experience. IMO even if there was some sort of understandable reason that he had to bow out at the end, he should have just passed my pipe along to Janka.
@Janka, if it doesn't get resolved by Mike/Adirondack, I'll carve another author and send it your way. I can't promise I'll be fast getting it to you, but I'll get it there.

[Ocelot55]

I'm in!

I've only missed one in the past eight rounds. I still regret it.

As for themes, perhaps incorporation of natural plateau in the design? I don't think we've done a Dublin either.

[PeskyPrussian]

I am in! I would be down for whatever in terms of shape, but in the theme of classics, a Bulldog would be a fun one. I've somehow avoided making a bulldog so far but feel like this would be good impetus to force me to figure it out.

[seamonster]

oh crap, so many good ideas!
I love Jesse's idea of a plateauy-dublin,
and I've been adamantly avoiding a block which is SCREAMING bent bulldog at me.....
so hard to choose!

[PremalChheda]

Added the following to the original post.

By entering into the PITH you agree to do your best with the following no matter your level of expertise.
1. Take the time to produce the shape outlined to the best of your abilities and ask for guidance when needed. The end result should be some of your best work if you participate fully. (Many of us will make multiple pipes in succession in order to fully benefit from this experience)
2. Communicate with us if you encounter any problems with completing the pipe. (You may contact me privately on here or on social media as well.)
3. Give thorough feedback to the person that sends you his/her pipe. (This is the most important thing of the PITH for most of us here.)
4. Have fun and try to participate in the discussion. (Well, you don’t have to have fun but then why participate if you are not?)

[Rshey]

I’m in. It was a huge learning experience last year.
Eric was extremely helpful with his critiques

[PremalChheda]

I'm in, although I didn't receive a pipe last year from Adirondack Pipes, and stopped getting responses. But I'm definitely going to participate this year, might as well, may i suggest a blowfish for this year

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk

Wow... That really sucks, because he definitely got one from me. Premal, I've got some of his contact info if you think someone ought to check on him. Hope he's okay.

Cool, thank you. For what it's worth, he was pleasant in my interactions with him, but he never sent more my way than very initial impressions, so I didn't really ever get thorough feedback and as a result I'm not sure I really got the whole PITH experience. IMO even if there was some sort of understandable reason that he had to bow out at the end, he should have just passed my pipe along to Janka.
@Janka, if it doesn't get resolved by Mike/Adirondack, I'll carve another author and send it your way. I can't promise I'll be fast getting it to you, but I'll get it there.

Michael is sending out the second pipe he made to me and I will forward to Janka. He went through some personal things during that time and all seems to be good now.

[RickB]

Michael is sending out the second pipe he made to me and I will forward to Janka. He went through some personal things during that time and all seems to be good now.

That's great. I mean - sucks about the personal stuff but glad it's getting resolved, and again - first and foremost I hope he's okay.
Really appreciate you following up and setting that all straight.

[LatakiaLover]

No question what the shape should be --- a 24" (minimum length) churchwarden with a flattened "saucer" bulldog bowl.

[PremalChheda]

No question what the shape should be --- a 24" (minimum length) churchwarden with a flattened "saucer" bulldog bowl.

That’s just absurd! 23” would work