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Below are two new ones, one is a turtle shape variation, and the last is a sitter. I had high hopes for the sitter but the final shape needed to be changed due to getting rid of big pits and now it will not sit. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

No comments?

I really like them I feel under qualified to say anything. Not a big fan of sitters, though I am making one right now , but I like that one. The turtle is super cool to me, I really like your stain on your logo, and the shape of the stem as it goes with the lines of the pipe.

rev

Sometimes no comment is the comment.

Personally I think they're looking pretty good. I like the cherrywood/dublin the best.

I like them. The second one seems slightly off to me. I can't put my finger on it, but something is strange about the lines/proportions.

Cory wrote:I like them. The second one seems slightly off to me. I can't put my finger on it, but something is strange about the lines/proportions.

Different strokes I suppose. I'd say that about the first one.

A question/issue which I know has been discussed before, but a recent pipe purchase just raised it with me again.

I assume these pipes are shellaced, right? I just bought a Johs pipe that is clearly finished with shellac, and though it smokes well, I just get the feeling as I'm smoking it that the shellac is coming off on my fingers/palm. It isn't, but it just SEEMS like it should, and therefore I feel it is.

Anyone else have issues smoking a pipe finished in shellac? I love the wet look, beautiful, and these pipes are great, just wondering on the other issue.

wmolaw wrote:A question/issue which I know has been discussed before, but a recent pipe purchase just raised it with me again.

I assume these pipes are shellaced, right? I just bought a Johs pipe that is clearly finished with shellac, and though it smokes well, I just get the feeling as I'm smoking it that the shellac is coming off on my fingers/palm. It isn't, but it just SEEMS like it should, and therefore I feel it is.

Anyone else have issues smoking a pipe finished in shellac? I love the wet look, beautiful, and these pipes are great, just wondering on the other issue.

Its all in your head, weirdo

rev

the rev wrote:

wmolaw wrote:A question/issue which I know has been discussed before, but a recent pipe purchase just raised it with me again.

I assume these pipes are shellaced, right? I just bought a Johs pipe that is clearly finished with shellac, and though it smokes well, I just get the feeling as I'm smoking it that the shellac is coming off on my fingers/palm. It isn't, but it just SEEMS like it should, and therefore I feel it is.

Anyone else have issues smoking a pipe finished in shellac? I love the wet look, beautiful, and these pipes are great, just wondering on the other issue.

Its all in your head, weirdo

rev

that is more than likely the truth. As I said, it doesn't ACTUALLY come off, but I just think it might.

So, right, it's all in my head, which, frankly, is filled up to the brim with other crap!

Does your camera have a zoom lens? I think these photos suffer from some wierd distortion caused by shooting closeups with a short focal length. If you have a zoom lens, move the camera back, then zoom in to get the shot. This will give a truer representation of the shape of the pipe and will look more flattering.

WCannoy wrote:Does your camera have a zoom lens? I think these photos suffer from some wierd distortion caused by shooting closeups with a short focal length. If you have a zoom lens, move the camera back, then zoom in to get the shot. This will give a truer representation of the shape of the pipe and will look more flattering.

now that is some good help

thanks

rev

wmolaw wrote:that is more than likely the truth. As I said, it doesn't ACTUALLY come off, but I just think it might.

So, right, it's all in my head, which, frankly, is filled up to the brim with other crap!

A lot of makers use shellac, although a lot of collectors feel the same way you do. I felt the same way before I started making pipes. Kind of funny actually. Your pipe probably feels like plastic to the touch, am I right? That's from too much shellac, if I'm not mistaken. When you apply a thin layer of shellac, it doesn't feel artificial but does shine up to look wet.

WCannoy wrote:Does your camera have a zoom lens? I think these photos suffer from some wierd distortion caused by shooting closeups with a short focal length. If you have a zoom lens, move the camera back, then zoom in to get the shot. This will give a truer representation of the shape of the pipe and will look more flattering.

Here's what I'm talking about:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=7964

cmueller wrote:Below are two new ones, one is a turtle shape variation, and the last is a sitter. I had high hopes for the sitter but the final shape needed to be changed due to getting rid of big pits and now it will not sit. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

I think you did a good job on both of these pipes, but there are some stylistic issues, IMO. Things become subjective here, but I'll share my thoughts.

Both:

1. They both look tiny to me for starters. That's not bad, but they do appear as if the entirety of each would fit in my palm.
2. Try putting more side to side curve on the top and bottom of your stems. They don't look flat, but bringing the upper and lower lines on the side of your stems closer together will make them appear thinner. I suspect that they're plenty thin, but the side lines trick the eye into thinking they are not.

To illustrate #2 (before bending, of course):



The first pipe:

1. I'd start the lower curve of the stem much closer to the shank/stem face, if not where they meet.
2. From above, the sides of the shank lead to a wide stem, which then tapers to the button. For this pipe, I'm not a fan of the effect. I think the shape would be better served with straight lines from the button to the shank/bowl junction.
3. How wide is the button on this pipe? It appears that it could be much more narrow.
4. The stem should get thinner much faster. Applying #1 in this list will help achieve that.
5. There are scratches on the ridge of the top of the button.

The second pipe:

1. A longer stem would likely give the pipe more overall flow and balance. I bet it would also make the pipe look larger.
2. While it's great the this stem gets thin quickly after the saddle, it should get thinner more slowly. Look at high end maker's pipes. There is often a gentle slope from the saddle into the stem, providing an elegant transition. This applies to the sides of the stem's taper as well. From the top, the stem looks pinched at the saddle.
3. It looks like you intended to flare the shank into the stem, but the flare on the top of the saddle straightens out and curves slightly down. A flare like that is tough to achieve on a shape like this where the space between the bowl and top line of the shank is minimal.

Overall, you did good work on these pipes. The shaping looks good and you maintained the integrity of most of the lines on both even though they are rusticated. Personally, I'm not a fan of the rustication, but I'm a tough sell on rustication anyway, even when I've been forced to do it.

Hope this helps!

::pays Ernie his royalties::

Thanks guys, great feedback and much appreciated. Next time I will work on taking better photos, give measurements, and work on my stem/bit transitions. The pipes are actually much bigger than they look and hopefully the measurements will help next time. To answer the shellac question, I do use it, but it's a very watered down mixture. I have also made a couple test pipes that I smoke to make sure my mechanics are correct and that the finish will last and not bubble and peel.

Thanks