3rd Chunk Of Briar - My Freehand Attempt - Pic Heavy

[shikano53]

Had this one on the finishing stand so decided to give it a go. Again, nothing special. I cut two small grooves in the shank/stem portion just to add something extra.

I went with the acrylic stem but I'm thinking I might change that out to a fancy Vulcanite. I used my heat gun to bend the stem. I put a pipe cleaner through it first then slowly bent it, cooled it three times. I then used a small, Kemper file to clean up and open up beyond the bend. Two coats of black base, four coats of medium walnut. Final buff Carnaubu wax. All comments and advice welcome. I think also that the shank/bowl transition could be narrower. I think it would look more graceful and flowing.

 

[pagan]

Nice work, really like the color on the stem, seams to mach the pipe well

 

[ben88]

Its beautiful, Chris.

 

[papipeguy]

Great job and that grain is wonderful.

 

[didimauw]

I like that very much, it reminds me of my Stanwell finish and grain.

 

[tbradsim1]

I think you got it just right, narrower and the balance would be off . Looking at stem and shank and bowl you've got it right. Thats my take on it. Well done.

 

[rhoadsie]

I like it, the stem and grain, wow!

 

[shikano53]

Thank you all for the comments. Balance is a fine thing. I struggled with the idea of taking more off the shank, flaring out the sides more but in the end I liked the look of the plateaux and smooth mix on the rim.

 

[jndyer]

Nicely done. You should be proud of what you have accomplished. Hey it is more pipe than I have ever created. Keep up the nice work.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

That's a fine looking freehand. Well done

 

[lohengrin]

Oscar Wild said that you don't need to read a complete book to uderstand if it is good, first page is enough.

I understood from your first pipe that you'll be a good pipemaker and your following works are proving it.

Here I appreciate the stummel's proportions, the abstract curve joining the top of the shank to the top of the bowl,

the way you shaped the stummel following the briar flame.

Surely you have to improve your craftmanship (just three pipes!), but your traits are better than several more skilled pipemakers.

One point: in my opinion if you widen the mortise and insert the tenon deeper the pipe will be more proportionate.

Congrats again!

 

[lohengrin]

Sorry, Oscar Wilde, of course.

 

[ericthered]

Freehand style with plateau is likely a shape/style that will never grace my collection, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the skill it took to make it! I like the grain & stain you've got going, and the partial plateau is a nice change-of-pace feature. I have one comment/question- several of the plateau nubs look flattened with visible sanding marks. Am I seeing that wrong and that's just their natural appearance? If they have been sanded, I might suggest sanding/buffing them until they're smooth. However, if doing so would compromise the valleys of the plateau, then it would probably be best to leave them as is. Regardless, it's a great looking pipe!

 

[shikano53]

Thanks everyone for the kind words and helpful hints.

Lohengrin, that is a good point, I am still not sure that stem matches the pipe. I have a vulcanite stem that is similar and a bit shorter. I might polish it up and see what it looks like.

Ericthered,thank you for noticing that. I put the magnifying glass on to look closer and those higher nubs have indeed been sanded a bit and polished shiny. They weren't sanded purposely though. They must have gotten hit a bit while trying carefully to sand the flat portions of the plateaux. I think what is showing in the pictures are the shine from those nubs. I debated sanding all the plateaux flat, but then an interesting thing happened and now I understand a bit when pipe artisans talk about listening to the briar and letting it speak. I just knew I didn't want the entire rim to be either full on plateaux or full on smooth. Someone asked me about dimensions.

Length: 7 1/4"

Bowl Depth: 1.5"

Bowl height: 2"

Chamber diameter: 0.75"

Outside diameter: 1 3/4"

I don't have a scale so I don't know the weight.

I don't have the resources to purchase a lot of pipes that I look at on various vendor sites so I thought an alternative would be to get some briar and try making a shape that I like. If the shape is a reasonable facsimile more or less and smokes good, I'm happy and it is a step forward on the learning curve. A pipe artisan I highly respect told me that he has a drawer full of ugly pipes that are really good smokers. My drawer is being populated.

 

[patiobum]

Very nice.

 

[blueeyedogre]

That's a good looking pipe!!

 

[noizbox8]

I've never see a stem like that. Looks great.

 

[jerwynn]

Dmn dandy pipe and work!!! I'd absolutely enjoy such a pipe in my collection!