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Hey guys, just wanted to show you my latest pipe. I have been wanting to make a pipe that is along the lines of a apple, and also with a tapered shank. I used a handmade ivory swirl acrylic stem. I have also been playing around with leather dye combinations and this block had some decent fiery grain, so I went with some moccasin brown after 400g, then some oxblood after 600g, and then some buckskin after 800g to get a reddish hue. This is the first pipe where I'm truly pleased with the main aspects, drilling, tenon/mortise, finish, feel, stem thickness. Any feedback is welcomed!

I'd recommend taking out that reverse taper on the shank.

Thanks JMG, I did think that looked okay, but after reading your comment and thinking about how it would look with a straight shank, I have to agree that it would look much better, It hadn't crossed my mind sooner. I had noticed a very slight taper when shaping it and I thought it was a good look so I went with it. Thanks a lot of the input!

brownleafbeardsman wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 9:11 am Thanks JMG, I did think that looked okay, but after reading your comment and thinking about how it would look with a straight shank, I have to agree that it would look much better, It hadn't crossed my mind sooner. I had noticed a very slight taper when shaping it and I thought it was a good look so I went with it. Thanks a lot of the input!

What I have learned, from critique gained from this forum, as it pertains to a reverse taper, is that it shouldn't be something that someone might look at and think, "Does this shank have a taper?" This particular thing typically needs to be very intentional and obvious. Some of my attempts in the past seemed more like it was in limbo being neither a proper straight shank, or a reverse taper.

I think you'll find a straight shank looks odd as well... what you really want is A VERY SLIGHT taper in the other direction. It's a word trick the eye and brain play.

The bowl is a bit more English or classical in design, a reverse taper, like you have here, is usually found on a bent pipe of more Danish design.

Sent from my bloopty-bloop using hooty-hoo.

Yup.

For whatever evolutionary reason, human brains dislike (for lack of a better term) certain shapes and combinations of shapes.

The most common (and easy to check with a protractor) is that a pipe whose bowl is dead-on 90-degrees to the shank LOOKS as if the bowl is leaning TOWARD the shank/stem. Weirdly, only when the bowl is tilted a few degrees away from the shank does it appear vertical.

A dead-cylindrical shank with no taper is another. It's more subtle than the bowl tilt thing, but easily measured with a dial caliper. A few hundredths of an inch of taper per running inch of shank length is required for the shank to look "right."

seamonster wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 9:08 pm I think you'll find a straight shank looks odd as well... what you really want is A VERY SLIGHT taper in the other direction. It's a word trick the eye and brain play.

The bowl is a bit more English or classical in design, a reverse taper, like you have here, is usually found on a bent pipe of more Danish design.

Sent from my bloopty-bloop using hooty-hoo.

Yeah. I should have been more clear in how I explained “straight shank.”

Such detailed critiques are very appreciated. Thank you JMG, seamonster, and LatakiaLover. So for future reference, while going for a classical shape like an apple, I will focus on getting a taper, not a reverse taper, of about 1 degree, and also getting the bowl canted to about 1-2 degrees as well, to get the illusion of the bowl 90 degrees to the shank, and not leaning backwards. And if I attempt a more danish bent shape, and reverse taper is good, as long as it looks deliberate and not like I screwed up. I hope I understood all of that correctly, and again, thank you so much.

To give a positive word as to your work as well...Stem/shank junction looks great. Stem, overall, is pretty good. And your shaping on the bowl in regards to its cheeks looks nice. If you ever get over to MS, near Jackson let me know and I'll treat you to some food and we can grab a pipe at the Country Squire.

Thanks JMG, I appreciate the positive feedback also! I feel that this pipe is my best work yet in terms of the things you mentioned. I'm excited to keep growing as a pipe maker, and will take everything that I learn here with a very open mind.
I have no plan on dropping this as a hobby, I haven't enjoyed doing something this much in a very long time. Thank you for the invite, sir! If I am ever there, that would be a pleasure!