First pipe of the year for me

[kamkiel]

Not only is this my first pipe of the year, but it is also the first time I have done a military mount, 1st time using camel bone, 1st time trying out this rustication, and it is the biggest pipe I have made to date.

Ｉfeel the shape of the stem could use more work... I am still trying to figure out how to shape the stems of bent pipes. Also, because this block of briar had virtually no grain and some flaws, I decided that I would be a little creative with the shape. I am smoking it right now(quality control), and it hangs quite comfortably!

As always critiques and comments are welcome.

Thanks,
Kiel　　

[LatakiaLover]

Quite nice overall, IMO.

The stem is one of those "there's still a nice one inside that one" cases. Material remains that should still be removed. Also, the bend is too abrupt. Slenderize the lower 60% so that it doesn't look like a bottle quite so much, and then re-bend the entire length to be more of a sweeping curve. Watch too that there's no swelling/bulge when viewed from the top/bottom. Finally, watch out for unintentional "trumpeting" just behind the button on the sides (try to keep the line straight OR have a true fishtail), and the bite zone itself could be a bit flatter. Stems that are high/thick in the center are less comfortable than flatter ones.

There are a few other minor things like the chamber isn't centered exactly, and the axis of the mortise isn't perpendicular to the end of the shank, but getting stuff like that right is more a matter of execution & practice, not a visual design issue.

Good job. You didn't say how many pipes you've made in total, but if it is less than 20 or so you are WELL ahead of the curve.

[kamkiel]

Quite nice overall, IMO.

The stem is one of those "there's still a nice one inside that one" cases. Material remains that should still be removed. Also, the bend is too abrupt. Slenderize the lower 60% so that it doesn't look like a bottle quite so much, and then re-bend the entire length to be more of a sweeping curve. Watch too that there's no swelling/bulge when viewed from the top/bottom. Finally, watch out for unintentional "trumpeting" just behind the button on the sides (try to keep the line straight OR have a true fishtail), and the bite zone itself could be a bit flatter. Stems that are high/thick in the center are less comfortable than flatter ones.

There are a few other minor things like the chamber isn't centered exactly, and the axis of the mortise isn't perpendicular to the end of the shank, but getting stuff like that right is more a matter of execution & practice, not a visual design issue.

Good job. You didn't say how many pipes you've made in total, but if it is less than 20 or so you are WELL ahead of the curve.

Thanks for the critique! The stem issue was a problem from the start. I could probably right an essay on how I thought I knew what I was doing(but didn't), and how the "image" of what this stem was supposed to be kept changing everytime I picked it up, but I will save us all the trouble of having to read my regurgitated thought process

The axis of the mortise to the end of the stem isnt perpendicular because I adjusted (messed with) it after I "finished" shaping the stem.

Not trying to make excuses for the pipe. It smokes fine, but now its time to take it to the next level and get pipes to a level I can be happier with. So again, thanks for the critique. Now lets see what I can do with it

Oh yeah, I should be around mid thirties in total pipe count over the course of almost 3 years. Slowly but surely.

Kiel

[sandahlpipe]

The shape on the stummel, the military mount, and the stem design don't work together. They may be technically on track as far as execution is concerned, but they're not cohesive from a design standpoint. I'd recommend working through all the design aspects before you start making. That way it looks like everything belongs together.

[LatakiaLover]

The shape on the stummel, the military mount, and the stem design don't work together. They may be technically on track as far as execution is concerned, but they're not cohesive from a design standpoint. I'd recommend working through all the design aspects before you start making. That way it looks like everything belongs together.

Here's the net semantic content of that:

The pipe looks bad because the parts don't go together visually. They might be technically well done parts, but they don't go together visually. To avoid that in the future make sure the parts go together visually before you start working.

I can't decide if you're giving some Bruce/Rad dry humor a test drive ("Hope this helps"), or have gone all Zen on us, Jeremiah, but I doubt anyone will find unsupported circular commentary useful.

As for the overall design, I immediately saw a 21st century version of one of these:



...and I don't think Kamkiel did a bad job of it.

So, please be more specific about what doesn't "go together". (Are you one of those guys who can draw on photos? That would be good.)

[sandahlpipe]

Personally, I think the military mount with a tapered stem doesn't work aesthetically. I suppose you could just chalk that up to a matter of taste. Then there's the little thingy under the bowl that I can't see the point in. It's too short to be a cavalier-like feature and the wrong direction for a cutty-like heel.

The bow looks quite tall in relation to the shank, and when combined with the nub under the bowl, the lines aren't as easy on the eyes even compared to George's example.

I hope that makes sense. No sarcasm intended. And my sketching on photo skills absolutely suck, so I'm afraid I won't be of much help there.

[kamkiel]

Personally, I think the military mount with a tapered stem doesn't work aesthetically. I suppose you could just chalk that up to a matter of taste. Then there's the little thingy under the bowl that I can't see the point in. It's too short to be a cavalier-like feature and the wrong direction for a cutty-like heel.

The bow looks quite tall in relation to the shank, and when combined with the nub under the bowl, the lines aren't as easy on the eyes even compared to George's example.

I hope that makes sense. No sarcasm intended. And my sketching on photo skills absolutely suck, so I'm afraid I won't be of much help there.

Thanks Jeremiah for the critique! The stem definitely needs work. The little nub on the pipe was actually intentional. It was something I had been thinking about for a while, like having a bent pipe that could also sit. The nub is like the heel point on a high heeled shoe( by looking at this pipe, I saved you all the trouble of searching "fat woman in stilettos".... you're welcome). The pipe can sit on its own without falling over. I also put it there to exaggerate the shank and bowl looking like two seperate pieces.

The military mount was an after thought because of the PITH event that is due in July. I may have had Peterson in mind while making the stem, but it was more about exploring some of the boundaries.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

Kiel