#2 Freehand

[Jakub P.]

Hi guys. Sorry for showing unfinished pipe but I was pretty much excited and couldn't wait till I finish it. It was my second pipe and it has been remade a couple of times.

First version:

[Jakub P.]

Second version:

[Jakub P.]

Third version (hopefully the last one):

[Jakub P.]

I was disappointed how it looked and almost left this pipe unfinished. It would be such a waste because this briar block has such a nice grain.Still there is much things to do and the major problem is gargantuan gap between stem and shank which is my Achilles heel.
When I showed first version to Wojtek Pastuch, he said - "It's hard to understand for a beginner but it's almost always better to remove more than less".
I didn't understand that then. Now I understand. Many thanks Wojtek.

Feel free to comment. I'll post more pics in this topic when it's finished.

[sandahlpipe]

Wojtek is right on. There's quite a bit of material you could remove from the shank especially. There's still a pipe in there somewhere. The shank/stem gap can be frustrating. There are plenty of threads on the forum about fixing the stem/shank gap, so I won't repeat them here.

[Ratimus]

On the second to last photo of iteration three, there's a shadow that covers up quite a bit of both the shank and the bowl. You could remove material to actually make it look like that and it could be pretty sweet. Anyway, great work for a second pipe.

[JMG]

I suck with this sort of thing (somebody fix this,) but this might give you an idea of a better direction to head in...

[kamkiel]

I suck with this sort of thing (somebody fix this,) but this might give you an idea of a better direction to head in...

That looks like a nice pipe

Kiel

[Jakub P.]

I suck with this sort of thing (somebody fix this,) but this might give you an idea of a better direction to head in...

Thank you guys. I appreciate every comment and I always take it under consideration but what I'd like to achieve with this pipe is improvement of its current shape. Not reshaping it entirely into something different. Because of it what Jeremiah and Ryan said is closer to my heart.
JMG, I hope you won't think of me as a some kind of a smartass.


Regards
Jakub

[sandahlpipe]

For the record, what JMG did with the shank is closer to what I had in mind that needed to happen. You could still have an oval-shaped bowl and make the change to the shank.

[JMG]

No offense taken at all.

[Jakub P.]

Sorry guys but can we pretend this fucking pipe never existed?
I believe explanation is needed.
I wanted to improve the shape and started to improvise. And I got carried away. For a single moment I had a quite decent pipe. I just didn't know when to stop. Decent pipe was not enough. The more I tried to improve the worse it looked.
Anyway, it's friday afternoon, sun is shining. Tomorrow is a new day.
Next time I'll try not to waste your time.

[scotties22]

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I don't feel like you wasted anyone's time. You got some good advise which you seemed to be listening to and kept at it. (Sarcasm to follow) So now you're like the first pipemaker ever to mess up his pipe because he can't leave well enough alone....turn in your tools now! (End sarcasm) It's something we have all done. And something I'll personally do again before the end of the weekend.

The important thing is to remember the lesson you learned here and try to apply that knowledge to the next pipe.

[DocAitch]

Jakub, I'm glad you are continuing.
I am a relative newb (sort of) and can relate to your situation with that stummel. It is very easy to get caught up in the beauty of the briar and want to stop when it looks good. It just doesn't seem right to cut something that beautiful, especially when it is flawless. That is why our beginner pipes tend to be quite large (50 grams overweight per Sasquatch)
You were on to something with that freehand, and the third iteration was quite promising. From the tone of your posts, you were quite enthusiastic as well.
It takes a bit of determination to take something like that and attack it with a rasp or a cutting wheel. This evening I had 2 pipes at the 400 grit stage ( the briar on them was not as nice as yours) and decided that they were "not quite right" and took out the files and started cutting.
That estimation of "not quite right" came almost entirely from reading and absorbing these Gallery critiques.
I have looked at a few other web sites where pipe making is being discussed, and I haven't seen any critique or advice of the level available on this forum.
On another forum I posted a tongue in cheek discussion of my "system" for re naming "shop pipes". In my "system', if your pipe is would probably be a FOG- Fucking Opportunity for Growth.
Cheer up, there is more beautiful briar out there.
DocAitch

[Jakub P.]

While I was making this particular pipe I have experienced a lot of contradictory emotions. At the end there was only frustration caused by a lack of ability of making a decent pipe.
Anyway, I got my lesson and I won't repeat all these mistakes.
Thanks for all these words of encouragement.

[sig]

Jakub, I don't think that pipe was so bad you need to forget it happened. The first and third "versions" definitely have a visible style to them. I can tell you have something in mind and will eventually nail it. Keep trying to achieve it! The "standard" pipe look JMG drew up is not what every pipe needs to be. (Not that it isn't a good style)
What I would recommend, as you try again to build your pipe, is look at the angles involved with your shape. Make them have purpose. The saddle seems too tall-notice how it seems to choke out the definition of the short tobacco chamber? It looks like a man with a fat head and no neck.

You want to create more definition there so it seems the long angle of your stem flows into the stummel.
Also, you chopped too much off the top. I think you know that though. Maybe next time you should draw out the shape before hand and even try drawing it on the block. That way you will know you are happy with the dimensions.
Next, the rim. Your pictures are unclear about the shape of the rim but it seems to be an oval. That's an odd choice based on the rest of the shapes in the pipe but you can play with that. The part that I think needs more attention is the hard line along the side (best portrayed in the first two pics of the "third version"). I'm not sure what your intentions are there or if it's even finished, but that line seems too high and out of symmetry. You should try to correct the shape of the rim and top so they present an evenness at all angles. This is why most pipe makers us a lathe-because they can have a precise and even roundness to the rim of the pipe.
Lastly, coming back to the angles having meaning, the bottom of the bowl is offset to the tobacco chamber. The way you shaped the pipe looks in the front that it wants to lean out like a zulu but there is noting under it. It may help you to think of the stummel as two pieces: The tobacco chamber-a vertical shape resembling a letter V or U, that comes to a point at the very center along the bottom; and the shank-a small tube coming straight into the bottom of the stummel at a 0 to 45 degree angle, in the shape of a straw.
I hope this long rant has helped you. I don't think anyone wants you to feel bad about your pipe. I think it has potential, if unconventional, and that you should build the pipe you want. You don't always have to adhere to the standard shapes but you should strive to make you pipe, whatever shape it may be, look good to the standards of modern pipes.