Pencil-Shanked Devil Anse

[Sickle]

first things first: things I improved over last time:
I sanded and polished the inside of the slot, and I made the button a more comfortable shape

And thanks to DocAitch, and BrownLeaf for that sanding tip, because this pipe has the best slot of any pipe I own, artisan or factory.

this piece is based on Scottie Piersel's work, which I love the look of!

I'm really surprised at how the rounded lip came out, as I just carved it with a wood-carving knife, then sanded it smooth.
the accent piece is just a piece of Delrin that I shaped on the lathe.

the obvious downsides to a pencil shank like this are all strength-related, which is why Scottie Piersel adds a steel tube to hers and uses reverse tenons (they fit into the stem instead of the shank). but ill just make sure not to drop mine






(this side profile makes the button look way bigger than it actually is)











I want to learn, so be mean

[Sasquatch]

Lots to like, basic proportions pretty nice, that domed rim makes an attractive, open bowl. I'm not a fan of the rustication, looks very much like a Peterson, I think texturing should should not leave flat surfaces, it looks unfinished. I think the bright white ring is far too much action visually on a red pipe, on a black pipe it might work. And it's way big, this is Jetson's timeline stuff.

I like to see a lot less taper on the stem on a pipe like this, Scottie makes big oars, 3/4" wide and to my eye, they're just hideously ugly and inappropriate on a slender pipe. When you have a fishtail, a bit of a waist, and a stem that is pluggin into a pipe like this (rather than being part of the curvature of the pipe or whatever), you have to look at every angle and get all the lumps and bumps out. I've drawn a rather lurid set of lines indicating what I see, namely, a barrel section followed by a taper, which is exactly what it is. These kinds of transitions are really subtle and you have to work at them very intentionally, have the right plan from the get go - what exactly is the shaping on this stem going to be.

[Sickle]

Thank you, sas, for pointing out that lump. I wouldn't have even noticed it!

The stem was actually a constant taper, but then I bent it in order to keep the bottoms a straight line, and it created that lump. In the future I'll have to continue shaping after I bent it in order to get it as elegant as I would like.

I know it's a bit of a sin here, but I was actually trying to match a Peterson rustication. I don't have a sandblaster or anything, so I have to carve my rustications with a Dremel, and this is what I got out of it. Do you have any examples of attractive rustications that can be done without a blasting cabinet?
I tried Ratimus' "blastication" wheel, but the results just looked like a wire wheel.

Also, I totally agree that the stems that Scottie puts on her pipes get a little too wide. But that's all about taste I guess.

[brownleafbeardsman]

That's a good looking pipe, my friend.
The only things I'd mention would be the size of the shank ring, it is a bit distracting. I think it would look better if it was the same diameter as the shank. That's just personal preference though! Good idea using delrin as a decoration, I might have to try that out!
I think your button came out well, and the inside looks nice and polished.
I agree with Sas on the beveled rim, it looks nice, and you hit the dimensions and shape well.

[Sickle]

I mainly used delrin because it was just what I had on hand, I wouldn't really recommend it, unless it was used as an accent price IN the stem (incased in ebonite on both sides) mainly because glues can't stick to delrin. Or at least not well.

[Sasquatch]

Rusticating is usually a process where you carve, hack, scrape etc with one of many tools, for whatever surface effect you like. There's also CARVED finishes, like the Radice Underwood, which is like a gesture towards a wax drip I guess...a whole gamut.

Pretty ordinary cluster-tool rustication: I did this pipe up as a demo for another group. Like a Sea Rock, or Corallo, or whatever you want to call it.

And that's adequate "ordinary" rustication.

Unbelievable "shut up and take my money" rustication hardly exists anymore because it is hugely laborious. The absolutely random wash look on this Castello - true "Sea Rock" is incredible. But I mean, you could literally make a contrast stained pipe in half the time.





This is a pipe I made years and years ago, experimenting with carving tools rather than nail tools.




Lots of perfectly nice textures to be found.