Description
Boston pipe maker, Todd Brugman, is an in-house pipe maker at LJ Peretti Co. Prior to that, Brugman learnt the art and trade of pipe making in a classical way. He spent many years studying and apprenticing at LJ Peretti Co. where he made his professional debut in 2021. His pipes, both with classic and contemporary attributes, have been a breath of fresh air. The community has noticed, and he’s been working day and night to keep up with the demand!
Here we have a briar Calabash with Brugman’s contemporary and timeless spin on a classic shape.
Executed in Brugman’s unique melting pot of a style, this brillatnly contains 200 years of western pipe making influences into one seamless and dynamic composition. There is a uniqueness to the flow of lines and contours with shaping cues reminiscent of Danish pipe making, and many other influences from the Danish school. All the elements come together to form a pipe that harkens a Danish style with neo classical Italian infulenes, as well as clearly playing tribute to the original English style calabash made from gourd, and later briar.
This is a perfect example of a Brugman pipe, as it perfectly balances inspirations throughout the history of western pipe making, and creates a dynamic and unique pipe that is contemporary yet still holds a classic and timeless ascetic; a truly handsome pipe, the despite is muscularity has elegance brought forth via the organic nature of the contours.
Brugman choose use a “contrast stain” tecnique on this pipe, that brings out the grain by creating a contract, done here in warm hues. Both the 360 degree stright grain and the birds eye grain on the rim, heel and top of the shank are striking.
Brugman chose to make a cap on the stem from Ivorite (faux Ivory) with an ebonite ring, all hand shaped like every element of the pipe. The black ebonite ring with the Danish style flared shank repeated the motif of the Calabash, and is repeated on the stems button when seen from profile, further balancing the pipe and adding a level of sophistication.
This pipe has a long shank, especially for a bent pipe, and short stem to shank ratio for both visual and physical weight benefit. This pipe is very well balanced and will clench eaisly due to the bend and its light weight.
In not staining pipes, as occasionally Brugman will do, and regarding his overall process he states:
“I want to show how beautiful this block of briar was… I just reveal the pipe from the briar, and do as little or as much as it takes to show the blocks intrinsic beauty… Sometimes less is more and sometimes the challenge is finding just the right amount…”
Clearly Brugman put the details in this pipe that can be appreciated up close and afar; and extremely well thought out pipe. He always balances the micro and macro in his work, another unique hallmark of a Brugman pipe.
Brugman drilled this pipe perfectly, he states that a good pipe is first a
“precision instrument, can it become a work of art, then when smoked, and only when smoked is when it becomes a pipe”
A thought that many a pipe makers have had and stated
A pipe cleaner will easily and cleanly run from the mouth piece to the bowl, and the draft hole is perfectly centered at the bottom.
This pipe is made from the highest quality briar and will have a sweet cool smoke. Brugman guarantees his pipes against defects for life.
Brugman has been making a name for himself in the pipe making world, as is no surprise, as clearly Brugman is “painting with his own brush.”
Pipe specks:
Materials: Briar, Black Vulcanite/ebontie, Ivorite/faux ivory
5 3/4″ long, 2″ tall, 38 grams
