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In an alternate universe where there is an Earth exactly like ours except the pipe boom of 1850-1950 never stopped, 50% of all adult males in the world smoke pipes and love tobacco, there are several pipe making universities, and pipe repair/upgrade schools are common... one of the final graduation tests at every school would be to make a churchwarden stem.

Why? Because everything that's difficult about making a normal length one is multiplied by a significant amount. i.e. If you can make a good CW stem, you can make anything.

The first photo isn't a joke. That's the complete, intact original. Probably the widest disparity between stummel shape (which is lovely) and stem shape (which is ghastly) in the history of English pipe making. Someone at BBB was either drunk one day or had a sick sense of humor.

Besides the stummel being elegantly shaped the wood was quite nice as well, so it deserved to survive. A replacement stem was made. In this case, a long 'un.

If you want to see what you're made of (so to speak), give it a go. You won't enjoy the experience for too many reasons to list, but you'll be delighted afterward at how much you learned.

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Nice work George! Sent you a PM about a pipe I have...

Yup, you can make a billiard from scratch in the same time as a good long stem.

Great work. You understand now why a lot of pipemakers (including me) don't make churchwardens.

caskwith wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:10 pm You understand now why a lot of pipemakers (including me) don't make churchwardens.

I've made a few over the years, just not since having my current photo setup. When this project came up I figured it was a good opportunity to discuss the pros and cons a bit.

The double whammy with CWs isn't just that they are labor intensive and demanding, but there's no appreciation OF that fact as a general thing. Rather the opposite. Because of the flood of Wizard movies 15-20 years ago that made every college kid want a CW... but who only had $75 to spend. The result was a flood of cheap-N-crappy molded whippy stem models that negatively affected the reputation of the shape. Made people think of them as gimmicky. The only ones I can think of that fetch a decent price are late 19th/early 20th century cased specimens by top brand English makers. If you or The Squatcherizer were to offer one, I doubt you could get more than a 20% premium for it. Maybe not even that because of the awkward wizard-fan connection that few collectors of quality pipes want to be associated with. In the meantime, it took you twice as long to make, and 9-10" of rod stock.

I think anyone serious about pipe making should still take a swing at an elegant rod stock CW, though. Even if unsuccessful, they'll come away from it having learned a lot more in a single project than pretty much anything else I can think of.

LOL you missed a certain fairly well known "internet sensation" carver post a terrible billiard on facebook, saying "Jeez I dunno what you guys think is so hard about these." only to be torn into teensy weensy pieces by Bill Shalosky.

Ah, good times.

Bill knows his shit, too, which means Mr. Sensation must either A) STFU; or B) acknowledge reality. There is no C.

LOL

I have no idea who the Billiard Master might be (zero social media involvement, me), but the dynamics of the situation are entertaining in their own right.

Sasquatch wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:42 pm LOL you missed a certain fairly well known "internet sensation" carver post a terrible billiard on facebook, saying "Jeez I dunno what you guys think is so hard about these." only to be torn into teensy weensy pieces by Bill Shalosky.

Ah, good times.

I missed that one, but it sounds fun.

George, speaking of wizards...are you sure you aren't one?

JMG wrote: ↑Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:01 am George, speaking of wizards...are you sure you aren't one?

Hey, no pointy hat + no robe = NOT a wizard. OK? Old and ugly by itself means nothing. Except, well, that yer old and ugly, I suppose. (selfie attached)

Speaking of such things, people can't help how they look. Just ask Sas. (He's eight feet tall, hairy like a'griller, and even uglier than me)

Any lucky fool can be handsome, but to be ugly and make it work... that takes character.

I'll up the ante and double dog dare you to make a CW stem out of acrylic/lucite.

You mean the exercise also known as "drilling ten inches of temp-sensitive plastic at 125 rpm is a good way to go insane?"

Yeah, nah... Been there, done that. Not pfun. Not phun at all.

Sasquatch wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:42 pm LOL you missed a certain fairly well known "internet sensation" carver post a terrible billiard on facebook, saying "Jeez I dunno what you guys think is so hard about these." only to be torn into teensy weensy pieces by Bill Shalosky.

Ah, good times.

Aww why do I always miss these?

I just recently had to turn down a customer twice.

They were wanting a pipe made to a budget. Not a problem, I will do that if asked, assuming the budget is actually in my price range.
Firstly they asked me to make a transparent stem. Not gonna happen on a budget pipe. I don't keep the material in stock, I don't like the fussiness of it and it takes longer to make the stem as you can't cover any little mistakes so you have to go slow.

They accept this answer and come back with, oh well, I'll have an opaque stem instead...................churchwarden style.

Ummmmm NOPE! lol


We did get there in the end though.

That's the best story I've heard this week. Thanks for the laugh.

caskwith wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:07 am I just recently had to turn down a customer twice.

They were wanting a pipe made to a budget. Not a problem, I will do that if asked, assuming the budget is actually in my price range.
Firstly they asked me to make a transparent stem. Not gonna happen on a budget pipe. I don't keep the material in stock, I don't like the fussiness of it and it takes longer to make the stem as you can't cover any little mistakes so you have to go slow.

They accept this answer and come back with, oh well, I'll have an opaque stem instead...................churchwarden style.

Ummmmm NOPE! lol


We did get there in the end though.

How about a clear acrylic churchwarden stem.....oh, and I'm on a budget.

No sense of adventure some of you guys....