Smooth Bent Bulldog with Cocobolo Tobacco Pipe

When pipe makers share a workshop, it's natural for their individual styles and aesthetic tendencies to influence one another — whether intentionally or subconsciously. Silver Gray and Brad Pohlmann have shared a workshop together in Oregon for years, and above all other shapes, their bent Bulldogs tend to share the most in common: Most notably, the lower bowl reveals slightly concave lines in profile, flicking outward when reaching the Bulldog's characteristic beadline or ridgeline. Such shaping adds a lively, playful aspect to an otherwise quite stolid and muscular design.

This particular iteration from Silver exemplifies that juxtaposition, and she's also trimmed down the proportions compared to past versions. The stummel's undercurve founds the piece upon a graceful curve, adding softness and elegance against the shank's paneled construction and the bowl's firm ridgeline. As is customary for Silver's bent Bulldog's, this undercurve creates concave lines across the lower bowl, flaring out to form the ridgeline and adding a touch of dynamism before the upper bowl tapers toward the rim. Though paneled, the shank presents softer lines than is often seen on Bulldogs, which furthers this piece's elegant disposition and leads gracefully into the transition. Handsome grain commends the stummel, brought out by a traditional mahogany stain, and the stem base features an accent of cocobolo, handsomely matching the briar and beautifully integrating the stem into the overall composition.