Smooth John Bull Tobacco Pipe

Three long years have passed since last we received a Bulldog shape from Brad Pohlmann. This could be due to a number of factors: his steep, exacting standards, his late predisposition toward curve-accentuating shapes, or his tumultuous relationship with the Bulldog. According to Brad, he created his first iteration of the classic shape because it intimidated him. In an attempt to eradicate that feeling, while also marrying the English and Danish aesthetics, the John Bull was born.

"Elegance was always the goal in mind," Brad says, as this shape is one that has seen constant evolution, in subtle ways. Exuding the characteristically Danish-like smooth flow from bit to bowl, Brad has actually achieved the sinuous profile at play through the macro-effect of utilizing the ultra-crisp lines to his advantage. What I mean by that is, generally to render a shape with a more smooth, graceful profile, many carvers will take a normally firm-lined shape and soften the ridges, though this can often detract from the resolute, firm aesthetic which defined the composition in the first place.

Here, Brad has accomplished both, working in tandem with one another, through use of a steeply flared, Saucer-like bowl atop a pinched, well-defined transition, as well as a diagonal, forward-leaning shank-end, which serves to maintain the S-curve's delicate fluidity. A stunning offering from Mr. Pohlmann.

- Daniel Bumgardner