Stem length?

[T3pipes]

What is the best stem length for this pipe?

Blue line is 2x stummel height
Pink line is 2x shank length
Yellow line is same as stummel length

[LexKY_Pipe]

I would go with a 2 1/2" stem on that pipe. Which might be the pink line.

[TimGeorge]

For some reason even the pink seems a little long to me. How about another line where you measure the entire length of the stummel including shank and bowl and then take half of that for the stem, which would be a tad shorter than the pink. This should be an interesting thread ....

[KurtHuhn]

None of those lines are the right length. For that pipe, you're going to want to go a little shorter than the pink line.

Also, the bowl is a bit heavy in relation to the diameter of the shank - and since you can't add to the shank, you could try lightening the bowl.

And a third bit, it appears as if the bottom of the bowl drops below the line of the shank. I'd shave a bit off of there while lightening the bowl a tad and really defining the cheeks.

[SimeonTurner]

I agree with Kurt on all counts. He's an expert on well defined cheeks (especially in assless chaps).

[bregolad]

you guys can't go 2 seconds without salivating over kurt's assless chaps. good grief.

i really, really like that pipe (stummel). To me, the cheeks are pretty well defined already, but I be a newb. love the shape though.

i have to agree about the length of the pink line, maybe just a hair shorter

[kbadkar]

Here we golden ratio again.

I'm never quite sure who's on A and what's on B when determining where on the pipe parts to measure out the ratio from, but it has to "look right" and then apply the golden ratio to rationalize your intuition and fine tune your lengths.

Around 3/4 length of the pink line looks right, maybe here is why:

Measuring from front of bowl to shank/stem junction is A, stem should be B (A/1.62) - which is ~3/4 of pink line

Measuring shank from back of bowl to shank/stem junction is B, stem should be A (B*1.62) - which is ~ 3/4 of the pink line.

I'm gonna look up a post where I think Todd or someone explained where they apply the ratio - bowl height to shank length, shank length to stem, total length to height, etc. I think the pros often consider the center line of the chamber rather than the outsides of the bowl? If there isn't a definitive post on this subject, one of the ratio sensitive pros here should set this in stone for us proportionally disadvantaged hacks.

Edit: Dang, Trever had a link to a blog Ratio/Classics post back in March 2007, but the link is dead. I found the blog post on his website, but the picture is gone.

[Nick]

Shorter than the pink in my book too

[buster]

I think a tad longer than the pink line would look good.

[T3pipes]

Thank you gentlemen.

kbadkar--that really helps to visualize the concept. Going to print that and hang it in my shop

Kurt--I tend to make big stems, so I may have over-corrected on this one. Hopefully the fat bottom thins down some once I start refining the shape, this is just after first cut on 80 grit sanding disk.

[Sasquatch]

Couldn't an argument be made that the shape is a prince and a long curved stem would be appropriate?

[ToddJohnson]

I think the shape is nicely cut with very good definition around the cheeks and it has no chin! Good work. These are key elements in a basic nice looking pipe. I would go with something similar in length to the purple/pink line.

TJ