Werner Mummert: Partially Sandblasted Bulldog with Polymerized Corn Leaves Tobacco Pipe

One of the most innovative pipe makers working today, Werner Mummert fashions traditional shapes with some consistency, but he's perhaps better known for his experimental, boundary-pushing designs. Even when considering his more avant-garde work, its important to point out that his style isn't simply experimentation for experimentation's sake. No, underneath his unique style is a bedrock of high-quality engineering and an understanding of what makes a pipe functional as well as handsome. The Bulldog is a signature shape within Mummert's portfolio, and it's always a delight to see a new one arrive in the Smokingpipes' office. Mummert continually reinvents his interpretation of the Bulldog, modifying proportions, facets, the style of finish, and the materials used for accents, so its always sure to be something special.

This particular Mummert Bulldog is as well-realized as any of his interpretations. It possesses a cutting, razor-sharp profile thanks to the crisply lined diamond shank that, while relatively slender when considering the whole of the composition, is actually quite eye-catching due to the sheer angle at which its facets meet. The bowl is tall and stately, and it rises from a pointed, paneled heel and to a tapered rim that's demarcated by two wrapping beadlines. Unlike typical Bulldogs, the beadlines are situated on the rim itself and mark the rim's slight build near the tobacco chamber. An extra-craggy, ruby-hued sandblast dresses the stummel and coaxes out rippling bands of growth rings across the bowl, save for the rim and a trim band around the shank end, which are left smooth and stained a blonde color for contrast. Perhaps the most unique part of this pipe is the broad accent around the base of the mouthpiece: The accent is comprised of polymerized corn leaves, and their autumnal hues nicely complement the pipe's overall color palette.