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I've been going thru the gallery trying to learn a bit about what good pipes look like.
I know this is an old post but WOW! That is a truly amazing piece of art. I admire your work and your creativity but this one is just incredible. I've never seen anything like it.
You mentioned issues with lining up the grain on the sphere. Pay attention to it but don't get too worked up about it. Due to the nature of the wood itself you'll basically never have the grain lined up perfectly all the way around. Cutting across the grain on a straight grained piece of wood might get you a perfectly matched grain but it wouldn't be nearly as interesting. Do the best you can and it is what it is.