2nd crack at squashed tomato. this time with cocobolo

[calsbeek]

I tried to take into account the previous criticisms, focusing on bowl symmetry and stem lines.

[calsbeek]

and the final pic

[sandahlpipe]

Although the symmetry on this is better than before, this pipe is not good. The saddle is not good, the stem is lumpy, the bowl/shank junction is not defined, and the lines aren't fluid. It also looks like you've got a gap between shank and stem. I don't mean to be a dick about it, but please try again and work on these things. They're common enough errors that I think you can find enough critiques by reading on the forum for specifics without me spelling out all the details. Feel free to ask questions along the way on your next try.

[LatakiaLover]

What Sandahl said.

I'll add something I've suggested a dozen times on this forum: rather than chase after complex contemporary designs at first, get hold of an inexpensive frazed pipe of a standard shape and try to copy it as closely as you can. When you're finished, the "critique" is simply comparing one with the other. All subjectivity is removed from the situation, and nothing gets lost in translation because words aren't involved.

What you are doing now is like a new piano student jumping straight into Art Tatum improvisations before learning the fundamentals.

[Sasquatch]

Agreed.

I stunk at pipes, and stunk at billiards. Got pretty good at billiards, and stunk less on other pipes. It's magic.

Confusing shapelessness for flow, having something where there should be nothing, missing crisp lines where they need to be and making nice curves where they need to be... all this indecisiveness MUST disappear in a billiard.

So this isn't too pretty because the bottom line is 10 different curves, round things flow formlessly into square things, basic proportions are ignored.... This is stuff I struggled with for years. Still do.

[calsbeek]

ok thanks guys.
if I live to see the sun come up tomorrow, I'll go back to the drawing board

p.s. the stem/shank sucks because I broke the cutter on the lathe and had to free hand it. but thats my only excuse. I guess I just lack an aesthetic eye for this sort of thing.

[Jthompson1995]

. . . I guess I just lack an aesthetic eye for this sort of thing.

Keep looking at good pipes from high end makers/manufacturers and this will develop over time. Go to pipe shows and handle some of these pipes so you can look at them from all angles. Look at the lines of the profile and top and bottom to see how curves and lines transition into one another. Just keep trying.

[baweaverpipes]

Go buy a French ruler. It's a valuable tool to use for symmetry. I use mine quite often.

[calsbeek]

looking at high end pipes and going to pipe shows are both tough...

rural vermont is a tough place to see that kind of quality...

[sandahlpipe]

Abe Herbaugh and Steve Norse can't be too far from you. Why don't you see if you can arrange a visit to see one of them? Their pipes are very high quality. But even if you just bought an estate Stanwell billiard for $50 and took measurements to make a copy, it would be a worthwhile investment. Once you can copy a pipe exactly (a billiard is the strictest, but not the only option) you can start working your way towards coming up with new designs.

[clickklick]

The stummel on your first one was better! Keep working at it! Keep it for yourself and enjoy smoking it.

[DocAitch]

Mr Sandahl,
Is that a crack between the ebonite and the cocabolo or between the cocabolo and the briar.? I am looking at a small screen here.
Thanks,
DocAitch

[sandahlpipe]

Mr Sandahl,
Is that a crack between the ebonite and the cocabolo or between the cocabolo and the briar.? I am looking at a small screen here.
Thanks,
DocAitch

I presume the cocobolo is attached to the stem and that the crack you see is between the cocobolo/stem face and the shank face.

[Thomas Tkach]

looking at high end pipes and going to pipe shows are both tough...

rural vermont is a tough place to see that kind of quality...

Read through every post in this gallery and the critique offered. After a few hundred threads you'll start noticing stuff on pipes you would have previously thought were flawless before you read the critique. Then you'll hate all your cheap pipes and at least be able to critique your own work a little better.

[calsbeek]

yeah small crack in shank

[Charl]

Ditto on what Thomas said. How do you think a guy from wild Africa got to being able to make a semi sorta decent-ish smoke-able pipe? But do not stop posting your pipes!