Michail Kyriazanos: Sandblasted Bulldog Two Pipe Set Tobacco Pipe

You needn't be an Anglophile pipe smoker to appreciate the classic Bulldog shape. I'd imagine that it would help, as we do have the English to thank for bringing the shape into the world, but the form itself is commonly favored by those with a predisposition toward shapes of a sleek, streamlined nature. Michail Kyriazanos seemed to know this, as his goal in fashioning this impeccable two pipe set of sandblasted Bulldogs was to create "the most elegant designs of a rigid and structured shape."

To achieve this, he began with two distinctly classic, 1930s and 1940s Bulldog forms for inspiration: Dunhill's "46" and "O" shapes, defined by a poised, upright bowl and a squat, wide-waisted form, respectively. While executing two different Bulldog shapes, Michail created many commonalities to make this pair a matching set: rather than accentuating the sleek curvature of the underside, Michail chose to emphasize it, extending the crisp line of the shank well into the bowl's base, resulting in an undeniably ultra-classic profile. For the finish, he opted for a dark, old school sandblast, with the lightest hint of underlying warmth, calling to mind older iterations of the Shell finish, paired to a jet-black vulcanite stem, a choice made "not only to honor the era but also to draw the eye from the finish to the shape itself." I'd say he definitely achieved this, as I can't seem to take my eyes off these pieces.

- Daniel Bumgardner