Peace pipe

[bjrogg]

I always wanted a peace pipe and decided to make one from soap stone I got from Frank at Marshall. It's not any relica or anything like that just something I whipped up. Soap Stone bowl, forsythia stem, my normal red + blue markings, a bit of red fox fur and a bit of beaver fur I got from Badly Bent at Marshall if I remember right. Tied on a couple turkey breast and shoulder feathers. I like the way it turned out and it works good too.
Bjrogg

[lebhuntfish]

That is cool bj! I think that is the first peace pipe I've seen on pa. Nice job! One of those is on my bucket list of things to make.

Patrick

[bjrogg]

Thanks Patrick, I'm pretty sure I've seen pipes on PA but I looked a ways back before I started and didn't find any.
Bjrogg

[lebhuntfish]

Oh I've seen pipes bj,  just not a peace pipe. 
I really like yours! Simple but elegant at the same time.

Patrick

[Ruddy Darter]

Nice pipe Bjrogg, cool thing to make  .

 Ruddy.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Ruddy, I was going to try carving something on the stone but couldn't think of anything. The peace pipe was all that came to mind. It was actually a really fun little project
Bjrogg

[Badly Bent]

Nice pipe BJ. I like your paint art on the stem and cool to see that you made good use of my old hairpiece. 

[Redhand]

Nice looking pipe you got there.  Russian olive make a real pretty stem.

[Zuma]

"a bit of red fox fur and a bit of beaver fur
  a couple turkey breast and shoulder feathers."

I hope the soapstone is the key to making peace
with the critters too.
Great pipe Bj
Zuma

[bjrogg]

Thanks Badly Bent and thanks for the beaver I've used it on a few projects now I think you're gonna have to go  with a Mohawk if you want to use it for a hairpiece again.
Thanks Redhand I have access to Russin Olive and have another bigger stone bowl already made, might have to try it. I used the forsythia because I had it here and it's hollow except for where the nodes are so I could kinda just ream them out with a sharpened small steel rod.
Thanks Zuma I think I'm at peace with the animals, not sure if they feel the same. I always try for clean human kill. Always leave plenty for seed, but try to harvest enough for a heathy strong population. Mother Nature does the same but she can be much more cruel when it's necessary to thin the population. I'm not saying I know more than Mother Nature but I do believe a properly harvested animal population can stave off a certain amount of suffering. I'm pretty sure we're on the same page.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

Nice pipe and stem bjrogg.Does that soapstone work with a file and drill like pipestone?I imagine it does.Got a pipe here too.Sumac stem/pipestone bowl.A bit of investigation on my part showed me a mallards' crest[the green top knot] put on the stem symbolized the 4 winds from the birds migrating etc.Ceremonies like the blessing of a lodge are cool to go to.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Ed, I might have wrong name for stone. I think you refreshed my memory and this is pipe stone. It works easily with tools. I have some other stuff that is a lot harder. Frank said I'd have to carve it with diamond tool but it would hold much more details. I would like to research more on actual peace pipes and learn their symbols, l'm sure I would enjoy a ceremony like a lodge blessing
Bjrogg

[Redhand]

I would think that soapstone would be a little easier to work than pipestone. At least the pipestone I work. Bjrogg if you try the Russian Olive start from the tip and work your way to the base that's if your using wire and heat to put your hole through the pipe.

[bjrogg]

Thanks for the tip about the heated wire Redhand, I'll have to give that a try next time.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

Natural pipe stems with a pith to burn out are nice but not the only way of course.2 halves carved out and glued together are done too.The ceremony I went to was done in the tipi.The sod that was removed for the fire pit is flipped over backwards from door and set right next to the fire pit.That is always done that way.That is the alter and sitting behind that is the place of honor or ownership with people sitting around the fire.The pipe is lit then past to the heart side or the left from the owner in a semi circle.The pipe is passed back the reverse route back to owner the route it came from and not across the doorway.
A tidbit....Getting the pith out of your stem was done using a wood eating bug with a hot ember behind it to make it work faster....lol.Otherwise a red hot tipped wire does the job sufficiently.
The book Mystic Warriors of the Plains is a great book about these things.