First Billiard Please Critique

[Rodneywt1180b]

I also posted this over at Pipe Smokers Forum but decided to post it here too. It's my third pipe and first Billiard. I decided if I'm going to be looking at other people's pipes and commenting on them here then I'd better put my money where my mouth is. Also I signed on to the PITH and I am taking it seriously. I really don't want to produce a pipe to trade that I should be embarrassed by.

This pipe is made from flowering plum, it's closely related and very similar to cherry. The finish is a thin coat of shellac buffed with carnuba wax. I'm still working with practice woods and preformed stems. That will change soon. I just need to pick up a couple more tools and I'll be able to do my own stems.

Anyway, here's some pictures. Please be brutally honest. I need to get better fast.









Sorry for the crappy pictures, a better setup for that is somewhere on the to-do list as well. I'm currently somewhere between reworking the top of the shank and stem to straighten that line out or just leave it alone and on to the next pipe.
Thanks,
Rodney

[Alden]

Since nobody else has jumped on, I'll start with a few things that I see.
Your cheeks at the bottom of the bowl are really good, the shank to bowl transition is good.
Your shank itself should be flat, so the lines are horizontal top and bottom with no or little taper towards the bowl. The taper on your stem is ok, but that taper should stop right at the shank.
Thats my .02
There is probably more or better advice, but if you made that change to the shank it would be mo better.

[Rodneywt1180b]

Thank you Alden. I think it's too late to modify the shank on this one. If I do it'll be too thin and most likely break. I will be incorporating your suggestions on the next one though.
Thank you,
Rodney

[wdteipen]

You could take a bit more off the top and bottom of the shank. As it is, it tapers too much. It looks like you are trying to match the taper from the pre-molded stem. The problem with that is that premolded stems are poorly made and matching the terrible taper on them leaves you with a weird shanked pipe. It's better aesthetically to shape the stummel correctly for the shape and then blend the pre-mold stem the best you can but realize it's still going to look like a premold stem. In the second photo, I've photoshopped what it should look more like granted my photoshop-fu is weak compared to others here on PMF.

[Rodneywt1180b]

Wayne,
I think I can make the changes you posted in your version. I don't have to touch the wood at the shank/stem juncture so this might be doable. I'll check how much wood I have on the bottom of the bowl. If there's enough wood I'll grind away at it some more. I liked the taper at first but the straighter version is looking better to me all the time.
Thanks,
Rodney

*EDIT* It looks like you've taken a bit off the bottom as well as the top to straighten the taper. The top I can easily remove more wood to lessen the taper. The bottom depends on how much wood there is under the bowl.

[Rodneywt1180b]

I checked. The bottom of the bowl will be too thin if I try to modify the bottom line of the pipe to reflect the photoshop drawing. This pipe will have to stay as-is. I'll incorporate all the suggestions you all have given me on the next one.
Thank you for your help,
Rodney

[The Smoking Yeti]

I checked. The bottom of the bowl will be too thin if I try to modify the bottom line of the pipe to reflect the photoshop drawing. This pipe will have to stay as-is. I'll incorporate all the suggestions you all have given me on the next one.
Thank you for your help,
Rodney

That's the spirit!

I try not to go back and re-work previous "lessons" I just move on to the next and remember what I learned. It's a process for sure, but if you are diligent and listen to critique and ask questions- things will improve quickly.

Now make another pipe!

Cheers!

Yeti