Yes, they are, just recently in fact.I thought they were a site sponsor? Or was there just a previous thread about them recently...?
I completely agree, for instance, I was looking at this one the other day and noticing how the briar is turned a complete 90 degrees from the standard and how the birds eyeing is on each side, but the grain is on the front and back of the bowl but horizontal instead of vertical...very nice and different from what other carvers would dothe thing I keep seeing about Japanesse freehands is they really seem to try hard to work with the grain. Not that other pipe makers don't do that, but it really seems like that's one of the top priorities if you're japanesse and making free hand pipes. I love that it seems to show a certain fundamental respect for the base material.
I completely agree, for instance, I was looking at this one the other day and noticing how the briar is turned a complete 90 degrees from the standard and how the birds eyeing is on each side, but the grain is on the front and back of the bowl but horizontal instead of vertical...very nice and different from what other carvers would do
Kim Jong Wook: Billiard - Tobacco Pipes Japan
Heart-stopping grain embedded in a classic shape.tobaccopipesjapan.com
I always thought a typical cross grain pattern was grain down the sides of the pipe with birds eye on the ends?Its called cross-grain. Some people prefer it.
That would be straight grain, or if less uniform perhaps flame grain.I always thought a typical cross grain pattern was grain down the sides of the pipe with birds eye on the ends?
I think it comes from looking at things in a different way. I feel a little weird trying to explain the philosophy of another culture from what I've read and talked with people about but there is more of a tradition of seeing objects kind of like living things and thus letting them express their nature less then looking at it like a tool. Of course that is the super easy simple way of explaining it. I could be totally off, but it makes sense to me.I completely agree, for instance, I was looking at this one the other day and noticing how the briar is turned a complete 90 degrees from the standard and how the birds eyeing is on each side, but the grain is on the front and back of the bowl but horizontal instead of vertical...very nice and different from what other carvers would do
Kim Jong Wook: Billiard - Tobacco Pipes Japan
Heart-stopping grain embedded in a classic shape.tobaccopipesjapan.com