Here we are again, with the mini pipes! (I swear this is the last one for a while!) This one is slightly different than the others, whereas this one is an experiment to see just how small I could make a pipe. Rest assured, this is the smallest pipe I'll ever do!
This small pipe was also an experiment with a very small leftover piece of Zebrawood. (I was told it was Olivewood, but it looks nothing like it!) It's a very easy wood to carve for any intermediate wood carver, but it has long grains which tend to rip long strips when forced. The grain is very beautiful and I tried to accentuate that, but in doing so, I overdid it at the neck level. The more attentive observer will notice the rubber ring just at the side of the bowl. This was put there because I carved too deeply and connected right to the drilled hole. Luckily, I had made the cylinder so thin I could fit the rubber ring in!
The alternating pale wood to dark lines make it a very fun and attractive wood to work with, but its density is not one of a pipe wood. The denser the wood, the higher the resistance to flame. This type of wood would burn quicker than a harder and denser wood (such as Oak or Maple). But still, the sheer beauty of it makes it lovable, but I think this will be my last pipe in this type of wood.
The size is also a miniature drawback of this piece; it is so small it makes its use very restricted and difficult. With this pipe, the flame is kept at less than a half inch from the tip of the nose, and the shy size of the bowl makes it hard not to burn the sides. Needless to say, this pipe will not be for sale, and will be kept strictly for its beauty and attractiveness.
UPDATE!
I gave this piece to a friend of mine for her Cross-Country backpacking expedition, which means that in a few months, I'll have a pipe that has crossed Canada! :D
Maybe I'm overreacting, or maybe this is just the coolest thing to happen to one of my pipes!
Gil
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