My Second Pipe.

I finally got around to finishing my second pipe, and all in all, I'm pretty dang tootin (haha I said dang tootin) proud of it. Not bad for my second pipe. Partial smooth and plateau top rhodesian/horn freehand. Algerian briar and vulcanite. Contrast stained. No jigsaw, no disk or belt sanders. Sanded and polished between coats of stain to 12,000 grit, and then waxed and buffed with carnuba on the buffing wheels. This thing literally has a mirror finish that was hard to capture on my camera. But in the last photo you can see the reflection of my pinky finger quite well. I call it the Tormented Viking's horn, mainly because I think it's a cool name. Some pretty serious grain going on with this one
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Notice the reflection of my pinky finger in this next photo
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Stem to shank meet could have done a bit better, and I got a touch of stain in the chamber I wasn't able to get out completely. but all in all I'm very pleased. :D

Thanks everyone!
Orley the bore is three quarter inch, so it should smoke flakes quite well, although most blends will probably be fine.
Eric, as a lover of plateau and birdseye on a smooth rim, I was torn between the two. I sat and stared at it for I think hours, looking at how deep the plateau was and at the same time imagining it might have some stunning birdseye grain underneath. I finally said heck with it, why not both? I think I made the right choice
Druid, it is indeed a whole lot of briar. And surprisingly quite light.

Better hide it before Bradley sees it.

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:rofl: Unfortunately, it's already spoken for. I don't even get to keep it! Haha.

Bradley said

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:rofl: Sorry Bradley. Good news is it's going to another guy named Bradley

The way the smooth top melds into the plateau is just beautiful and I especially love those tiny islands of stained wood in that sea of black.

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Thanks! That part was actually very fun.
Thank you everyone for the kind words. There were things I could have done better for sure, but for being my second pipe, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was quite proud of myself.
An update. The guy who got the pipe is a coworker of mine who wanted me to make him a pipe and was going to pay me. We're meat cutters. He had a nasty accident at work a while back, was cutting a femur bone on the saw and the bone snagged and kicked back. It pulled his hand into the saw and mangled it. He had to have three fingers re-attached. He came by my place to pick up the pipe tonight, fully intending to pay when I told him I had decided back when he had the accident that he was getting the pipe free of charge. He loved the pipe! He protested about getting the pipe for free and wanted me to let him pay me for it. I said consider it your "worth it" pipe, not that anything's worth getting your hand mangled in a giant ban saw. He'd been through hell with the hand and the multiple surgeries etc etc. He deserved that pipe in my opinion, as he seemed able to just brush the whole ordeal off throughout it all. I would likely have been a wreck. There was one single instant when he seemed truly bothered. He reminded me that he wanted to learn guitar and that hand would have been his fret hand and will never be the same. He wouldn't be able to play. I told him, screw that! Turn that sucker upside down and string it upside down... learn to play left handed. He stopped for a moment, thought about it, and then nodded his head in agreement. Well he makes mead and said he's at least giving me some of his newest batch when it's ready... I agreed to that whole heartedly! He's a good guy and I'm absolutely certain he would have done the same for me. And seeing the joy on his face as he held that pipe... that's all the payment anyone could ever ask for in my opinion. Makes you feel real good. It's currently 1:00 in the morning. But I'm off work tomorrow, and I feel great. I'm gonna stay up late and crack open a cold hard cider and light up the FIRST pipe I carved. Tonight was a fantastic night!