Werner Mummert: Smooth Bulldog Tobacco Pipe

Werner Mummert loves innovative designs, a passion perhaps only equaled by his desire to make the perfect pipe, and this straight Bulldog is an excellent example of both. A signature rendition from Mummert, it displays an ultra-crisp profile, with slightly flared sides reaching for an abbreviated, conical rim. Beadlines about the waist are a classic feature of the shape, but Mummert has moved them up onto the conical rim for a familiar, but bespoke aesthetic. The shape descends to a quite crisp heel, with the shank profile projected all the way forward without interruption. The shank, diamond in cross-section shoots arrow-straight toward an abbreviated, hand-cut brindled vulcanite saddle stem that punctuates the design perfectly.

While I love a good Mummert sandblast (and there are no bad ones) this fine rendition boasts a smooth finish, and well it should, to better display truly excellent flame grain around the bowl and mesmerizing birdseye on the rim. The light coloration of the stummel unifies with the pale striations in the stem, a precise mouthpiece which Werner fashioned from a cross-cut piece to display the vulcanite layers in an unusual and intriguing way. If you like Mummert's Bulldogs half as much as I do, you will have a hard time passing on this exemplary piece.