the art and vision of the freehand

[Zeno Marx]

When watching Briar Blues Charatan Collectors Group video from the Las Vegas show, I was reminded, and taken again aback, by how great the chasm is between the vision of the Danish freehand and those master carvers at old Charatan. By my estimations, it's funny that the Charatan carvers were much further "out there" than maybe anyone else. I guess you could include some of the Edward's creations, and while I know some Edward's diehards would take umbrage with this statement, I've always felt the Edward's vision was greatly dictated by carving around briar flaws no matter what the cost, which results in a lot of goofy, dare-say unsightly looking pipes. I rarely find that the case with either Danish or Charatan freehands. They might get super weird, but they aren't unsightly or folk-arty looking. The Danish and Charatans look like master carver results, while the Edwards look like high school woodworking projects of first-timers. Sounds like I'm bashing Edwards, but I that isn't my intention. I find Edwards roughshot to be rather endearing, just not "master" or polished looking in any sense.

I got sidetracked there. While I think I'm more enamored with, or impressed in a state of confusion in a pleasant way, or something I can't completely understand or explain about those upper grade, freehand Charatans; when it comes right down to it, the Danish vision tends to be something I'd be more likely want to own and smoke. I love looking at those high-end Charatans and really don't have any inclination to desire wanting one of my own. The Danish have that design element, while the Charatans truly look like they're the result of a free-flowing process.

Anyway...I caught myself smiling as I watched this Charatan video, and it got me thinking (more apply, feeling) is all.

https://youtu.be/s6tYbLXU1JA

 

[Sasquatch]

It's really, really hard to pinpoint a good vs bad freehand, or when something is "art" vs a grade 8 shop project. Just where those lines are drawn...

Personally I find the Charatan freehands super ugly, just out of proportion and basically pretty bad looking. They seem random and pointless to me. That said, you start somewhere, and if the best examples of freehand carving today show dashing panels of birdseye and sweeping ranges of straightgrain (all part of the design of the pipe, never a random occurence), it's because carvers have been building on these ideas for 80 years.

I go back to the Preben Holm style of pipe on eBay sometimes. And if you look at 100 pipes marked Preben Holm, you'll see one that's REALLY good, really has movement and grace and is carved with a real vision (notice how all these terms are a little murky???). The rest simply... are.

Add more mathematical ideas of Danish and American carving schools, things like the Golden Ratio start getting used, French curves, and pipes get beautiful as pieces of art that seem universally appreciated.