Clickclick's #8 - review

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bonehed

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 27, 2014
636
0
Before the main course, a side of vegetable. I'm a new piper with only a few years of 'serious' smoking under my bridge, so take the following dish with as much salt as you see fit. I've about 30 pipes in the racks, mainly old English, Comoy's & GBD's --and their offspring, including a few Jost's, Civic's and Astor's. Nothing very high grade model-wise, no Riband's or Pedigree's. A couple Falcon stems and a few bowls to go with them. A few lower end Savinelli's. A few basket pipes of course. No cobs nor Dunhill's. I scored a lovely Russ Cook apple/prince off eBay as an entrance into small-shop, handmade pipes and a few days ago found an A. Cherepanov nose-warming brandy, unsmoked by me or anyone else as of yet, to make that number two. For lucky number three I was fortunate enough to acquire Adam's #8 and couldn't be much happier with it.

As Klause discussed here, for some reason, #8 caught my eye and I was smitten. Perhaps it was that bold stem color! I'm usually rather traditionalist in my shape and color choices, often picking unassuming mud brown stained and black stemmed straight apples and Liverpools. Something small and quiet, as I usually don't go for the flamboyant; attention isn't something I normally seek out. Despite this, for whatever reason, this little dynamo of bright swirling colors and curves spoke to me.

And it is quite little, about 4.6'' long with a ~1.4'' high bowl and weighing just over an ounce, which suits me fine as I'm not a very large person, except around the midsection these days, and average pipes tend to look a bit mismatched when I hold and clench them. Being an almost constant clencher, the svelte bite zone of the stem had us a bit worried (no pun intended) and even though I tend to be gentle, it is rather thin. This concern was alleviated recently though when while outside with our daughter, a fly or something, decided to bed down in my ear and I reflexively bit down hard with no harm done to the Lucite. Overall, the stem is very comfortable, neither too wide nor thin for me and the button itself is well shaped. I really like the single cutaway saddle styling. The airway is very smooth and passes a cleaner easily as well. The drilling of the stem is a bit sloppy near the button, but then again the same can be said for my higher grade GBD Xtra's whose Lucite/Perspex stems show every cranny a drill bit pushed slightly too far will make, so I won't count that against Adam in any way. The airway enters the bowl dead center and flush to the bottom. Stem to stummel transition is flawless. The reading of the grain is top notch as well with straight grain running 360° around the bowl, and beautiful bird's eye gracing the bowl's bottom and the top and bottom of the shank. The top of the bowl comes to a thin knife edge and Adam expressed some concern about this being burned away over time, though I'm not as concerned, as some very expensive pipes are carved this way and I'm also very careful about where I place my fire. The general shaping is what I'll call an organic form and while not perfectly symmetrical, as Klause stated, this is what gives the pipe character and is in line with its organic feel. It reminds me of a fungi of some sort.

The contrasting stains bring out the grain's detail nicely and is evenly applied as is the wax, though the pictures might not show how well finished it is. There are a couple tool marks, I think, though they may just be dark areas of the briar, perhaps Adam remembers, though either way they are hardly noticeable unless you're really scrutinizing. One tiny pit on the shank, no fault of the maker there. Really a lovely piece of burl.

I've received two comments from passersby, remarking that they 'liked the pipe' and thought it 'looked cool', which are more comments than any other pipe has gotten.

As Klause also wrote, Adam is a pleasure to deal with and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again. I am honored that he has allowed me the experience of owning and utilizing his work, and it has brought me a lot of joy. I'm looking very forward to seeing what he comes up with in the future as he seems to have a knack for these things and is a very quick learner!

 

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
Thank you so much for the kind words!
You are correct in saying the slot is a bit sloppy as it is something I am focusing on improving and have done so on subsequent pipes, still learning. There are a few small tool marks you've noticed which I left as they didn't bother me and the pipe was made with the intention of being my own, so you see them. If I was making it for someone else I would have done my best to remove them before finishing.
I am so glad you are enjoying it and haven't bit through the stem or charred the rim away ! I hope it continues to bring you enjoyment for a long time!

 
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