Billiard Contest

e Markle · Post by **e Markle** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:58 pm

Anyone interested in a friendly competition? I am offering 3 blocks and one foot of ebonite rod to the maker who produces the best billiard. I'm offering quality materials; no second rate stuff.

Here's what I was thinking:
As far as the pipe itself goes, it needs to be a briar pipe, but I'm not concerned with the finish (smooth, rusticated, blasted). Shaping and finish work would be the primary factors for judging. Any of the standard billiard variants are fine with me (billiard, lovat, canadian, etc.), but just because I feel there should be some restrictions I'll say no bents.
You post pics of a pipe you make between now and December 1st (I'm flexible on the date). You don't have to surrender the pipe on the end date, but you do need to be able to take pics in case any clarification is needed. I'll recruit a couple of pro's to judge the entries, and whoever comes out on top takes the prize. Just to offer a reprieve to my wallet I'll say only those in North America are eligible for the prize (sorry!). We can address any other questions as they come up.

Of course I'm expecting no established makers to offer submissions... "established" is a bit vague, but at the very least, if you have a retailer you're ineligible. If you're uncertain on this point, just PM me.

Any takers?

Update 1: If you are interested, please post something to that effect in this thread. I'd like to have at least 10 people participate.

Update 2: Instead of posting pics in this thread please email them to me. I would REALLY appreciate it if you would do this the last week of November (give or take). I'd rather not have to hunt through 7 weeks of email to find your pics.

Thanks.

Update 3: When you take pics of your pipes please be sure to include shots of both sides (straight on; not oblique) as well as the top and bottom. If you want to include other angles or a focus shot that's fine with me, but those three are essential. If you're uncertain, look here. Also, I will release an email address for you to send pics to when the time comes. As of right now I do not have a completion date in mind. December is looking pretty busy for me, so there may be a few weeks of suspense. I apologize for that in advance.

Update 4: Please send your images to BillTheConqueror@gmail.com

TRS · Post by **TRS** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 12:16 am

How fun. I'm totally in.

Walle · Post by **Walle** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:33 am

Too bad that I can't compete, Herr Dr. Märkle, due to your chauvinistic rules.
I sure would have won this one.
Easily.

Cheerio!
Walle

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:11 am

Yeah that's true Roger, your billiard with legs would have handed me my ass on a plate lol.

On a more serious point however, nice idea for a little friendly competition Ernie, good choice on the Billiard, a personal favourite of both mine and my customers and lord knows I make enough variations on it lol. Would you like a 2nd place prize? I am sure I could donate something.

mredmond · Post by **mredmond** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:45 am

This is cool. I'm game.

Micah

baweaverpipes · Post by **baweaverpipes** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:53 am

eRemarkable,
Great idea, very kind offering and superb choice of shape.
Regarding the comments from Walle and casketwith, very funny! But.........Walle, billiard? Really? Is this what he considers a billiard (note the billiard ball being excreted):

As one of the prizes, I would be pleased to offer up part of my secret bowl coating, cremated ash from holy yaks from Djibouti.
On a serious note, super idea Ernie!

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:29 am

What's ebonite?

e Markle · Post by **e Markle** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:28 pm

OK, well if only two people are interested this may not be a good idea. If we get more people that's great, otherwise... That being said, I'll add a condition to the terms: if you're interested in participating please post in this thread that you expect to make a submission. I'd like to know roughly how many are interested. I'll add that to the initial post, so we have all the terms in one place.

caskwith wrote: Would you like a 2nd place prize? I am sure I could donate something.

Well, I'm not sure we've got anything going yet, but I'll shoot you a PM on this.

baweaverpipes wrote: As one of the prizes, I would be pleased to offer up part of my secret bowl coating, cremated ash from holy yaks from Djibouti.

There you have it - in addition to the aforementioned prize, our venerable Bruce A Weaver has offered to reveal his arcane bowl coating secrets to the winner.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:38 pm

I'll participate, but it makes it less fun for everyone else because then they're all competing for second place, right?

jogilli · Post by **jogilli** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:58 pm

thats fine... i've been depating if I should or not... second place isn't that bad.. I have plenty of briar... but a pipe from chris I have not

james

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:36 pm

Maybe we should post this somewhere else too, just so everybody can see the idea....

caskwith · Post by **caskwith** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:06 pm

jogilli wrote:thats fine... i've been depating if I should or not... second place isn't that bad.. I have plenty of briar... but a pipe from chris I have not

james

That would be a helluva 2nd place prize lol. Just for clarification you can bugger off on a free pipe

TRS · Post by **TRS** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:43 pm

I'm posting that I'm definitely in. I just came inside from getting started, so I guess I'm committed whether it goes on or not. I really hope that more people join. This is a great experience for us newbs; it would be a shame to miss out on making an archetypical shape and having it judged by pros, with a prize to boot!

NathanA · Post by **NathanA** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:54 pm

I'm in. I actually have a billiard 90% finished. I will post it when its done.

SimeonTurner · Post by **SimeonTurner** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:19 pm

I'd like to offer a booby prize for whomever comes in last. I'm offering 1 free hour of ridicule in Rad's shop, offered directly from the old curmudgeon's mouth. I haven't confirmed that I have the power to offer this prize, but I imagine the fact it's a booby prize means Rad will be very willing to comply.

Alden · Post by **Alden** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:21 pm

Ok, this may be the push I need to quit reading about making pipes, and actually make one.
Count me in.

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:42 pm

caskwith wrote:
jogilli wrote:thats fine... i've been depating if I should or not... second place isn't that bad.. I have plenty of briar... but a pipe from chris I have not

james
That would be a helluva 2nd place prize lol. Just for clarification you can bugger off on a free pipe

Man James, you made Chris curse! Yikes!

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:50 pm

I will make a suggestion here that I think is fairly important - the submissions should go to eGarble who will then post them in an official sort of thread ANONYMOUSLY - that is, I think that each pipe should be judged just "as is", not with a name behind it it. Make it dead objective, or as objective as possible.

taharris · Post by **taharris** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:25 pm

Count me in!

Todd

NathanA · Post by **NathanA** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:42 pm

I agree with Sas about making it anonymous. I also think it would be hugely helpful to everyone on the forum if, once they have been judged, the winners and losers are posted with critique from the judges as to what was wrong/what could be improved. I think that kind of feedback would be awesome because we could learn from our own pipes and those of others. Great idea, Ernie. Thanks for this.

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