Variations of the Same Shape

[Chasing Embers]

Title edited. Capitalize only important words.

These are all Savinelli Nonpareil 9904s.



Seems to be little adherence to a model shape in the line. Many pipes of the same line share an almost cookie cutter similarly but the nonpareil look to be eyeballed at best when carved.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Again here with the 9604.

 

[elessar]

Is it just the photos or are the dots on the stem also varied in their placement? The fact that they vary makes them a bit more endearing in my opinion. Maybe less machine made process steps on that line.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Is it just the photos or are the dots on the stem also varied in their placement? The fact that they vary makes them a bit more endearing in my opinion. Maybe less machine made process steps on that line.

Looks like an optical illusion in the photos. They tend to be on the flat left side of the stem on top just behind the expansion ring.

 

[OzPiper]

Collection of Walruses belonging to a friend who has been mentoring me in Danish pipes.
To say he has an enviable collection (built up over 30 years) is a huge understatement.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Collection of Walruses belonging to a friend who has been mentoring me in Danish pipes.
To say he has an enviable collection (built up over 30 years) is a huge understatement.

View attachment 117258

A few appear to be eggs and a few tulips. All the same carver?

 

[OzPiper]

A few appear to be eggs and a few tulips. All the same carver?

2 or 3 different carvers.

He had 9 Gert Holbek Poloniuses. Now 8, since I managed to twist his arm, and got him to part with one ?

 

[didimauw]

They must not have deemed them worthy of their own shape number? " Eh close enough".

 

[Chasing Embers]

They must not have deemed them worthy of their own shape number? " Eh close enough".

With the variation, it's making me wonder of nonpareils are handmade.

 

[didimauw]

With the variation, it's making me wonder of nonpareils are handmade.

Yeah that's a good point. Up to this point, I've never heard of that line.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yeah that's a good point. Up to this point, I've never heard of that line.

It's an older one long discontinued. The early ones used real horn as the accent while newer ones used acrylic.

 

[OzPiper]

They must not have deemed them worthy of their own shape number? " Eh close enough".

I love it when they are not identical. Rather like a set of hand-blown wine glasses with individually hand-drawn stems.

Shows that they are made individually rather than using a duplicating machine to pre-shape the stummels.

I know that makers like Tom Eltang hand-finishes his more expensive pipes, and hand cuts the stems for them, but it spoils it somewhat for me to see so many near identical pieces being produced and sold for those prices.
I suppose if he were to make each piece individually by hand from scratch, we'd see far, far fewer pieces from him, and the prices would be stratospheric, rather than merely high.

 

[captpat]

I have a Savinelli Nonpareil in a billiard shape, don't smoke it much as the airway is too constricted for my taste

 

[DanWil84]

My guess would also be handmade. The second ones on both the pipes are really nice looking.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What the hell does handmade even mean nowadays, anyway?

 

[mso489]

It seems to me that a lot of artisan work goes in to many factory pipes. The shaping on the Dr. Grabow Royalton bulldog is highly distinctive if somewhat uniform, and its sudden disappearance from the inventory of new pipes makes me suspect that one of the senior factory artisans retired or left the factory. There are quite a few examples, but that is a good one. It takes artisans to make pipes, whether on a factory line or in a personal shop/studio. There are lots of touches and variations in shapes, finishes, and designs that show the hand at work.

 

[cigrmaster]

What the hell does handmade even mean nowadays, anyway?

For me a handmade pipe means that every piece of the pipe is made by one artisan who also hand does his stems as well. All of my Jack Howells and Rad Davis pipes are hand made by the guy who puts his name on the pipe. No rocket science for me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For me a handmade pipe means that every piece of the pipe is made by one artisan who also hand does his stems as well. All of my Jack Howells and Rad Davis pipes are hand made by the guy who puts his name on the pipe. No rocket science for me.

I agree 100%, but these days factory pipe companies fling that phrase around very casually.

 

[workman]

Again here with the 9604.

View attachment 117236View attachment 117237View attachment 117238

I think the ones you name as 9604 are really 9614. I have one and the shaping is very much like the second one of yours, only mine is smooth and walnut brown with gorgeous flame grain.
I do think they are handmade. Maybe not every step in the process, but the surface is a bit uneven and the shaping is a little bit off which certainly makes it look handmade.
The stem on mine is chewed up so bad that I can't smoke it. I need to do something about that.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I think the ones you name as 9604 are really 9614.

I won't post without research.

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