Description
Todd Brugman Burmester Curve Bulldog With Limited Edition Vulcanite Swirl Stem/strong>
This is a one-of-a-kind pipe by our in-house pipe maker, Todd Brugman. It is made 100% from the raw materials, by hand, in the LJ Peretti workshop, here in Boston. He only ever uses the highest of quality for materials, including the vulcanite.
His work all comes together creating unique and cohesive pipe designs. This is just one of Brugman’s many unique interpretations of English shape chart pipes incorporating English, Danish and Italian shaping cues in Brugman’s unique “Americana” style. He can blend the distinctive and idiosyncratic, grounding the most unique pipes in the familiar. Though contemporary, by definition, he is often described as “contemporary with a timeless aesthetic,” truly anachronistic work.
Brugman states that famous art deco graphic and Industrial designer Raymond Loewy is a big influence on all his pipe design, and that can clearly been seen in this pipes shaping, and much of his recent work over the past year or so. There is clear beautiful seamless continuity in this pipes design that is at odds with the sharp delineation between the heel and bowl, the shank and bowl, etc.. yet flows perfectly and balances beautifully with the stattaco nature of the straight grain that encompasses the bowl. Every shaping and compositional decisions by Brugman is deliberate, from the angle of the cant, the thickness and shape transition* of the shank, to the whether or not the shank has flat or rounded sides and so much more.
This pipe is a 1/4 bent (or curved) bulldog, yet it clearly unique. The curve of this pipe follows what is referred to as the “Bermester curve” aka the “French curve” introduced in the late 19th century by Ludwig Bermester, and to present day can be found in any design or architectural studio; hence Brugman referring to this pipe as a Bermester Bulldog.
This pipe of Brugman’s still retains the classic 1/4 Bent bulldog look and feel; so it is contemporary, yet also carries an elegant & timeless quality; a quality one has come to expect from a pipe made by Brugman.
One very sticking and noticeable part of this pipe is how all the sharp geometric contours create unique panels with a biomorphic quality, truly bring the geometric into the organic, an common theme in Brugmans work.
This pipe will clench easily and comfortably with it being very light in weight for its size at only 44 grams and the fulcrum point being offset by the short stature and the slight bend. It has properly thick heel, thick walls, and it all around engineered perfectly from the way the draft hole meets the chamber to the perfectly funneled stem. The chamber size is about that of a Dunhill group 4.
All of Brugman’s shaping creates a composition that showcases a beautiful and cohesive pipe.
Brugman has become known for his ability to pull out the best and most dynamic grain for from each block he works with; letting the block of briar dictate the shape which he revels and adorns with his hand in his own way. You can clearly see beautiful straight grain around the chamber and along the sides of the shank, complimented by tight birds-eye end grain on the rim, heel, and on the panels of the shank.
…the uniqueness of a pipes grain is what makes the folk art we call pipe making so brilliant, as a pipe is always a collaboration between myself, the pipe maker, and with nature as an artist.
This pipe, Brugman complimented with a stem he hand cut from limited edition vulcanite rods. He will use modern patterns/swirls in his pipes, but is very picky, as he never wants the stem to be louder than the stummel, he feel the should balance yet at the same time, the stummel should be the “star of the show.” He tends to pick neutral colors with an organic swirl pattern, that despite the intrinsic contemporary nature of many of the vulcanite he uses, it still carries the timeless aesthetic that is so often mentioned when speaking of his work.
As one can see, Brugman clearly “paints with his own brush” when creating a pipe, or any work. He also states that the same fine artists that influenced him in his painting from Rembrandt to Willem de Kooning, have equally, along with a long list of pipe makers and styles, influence his pipes and all his art.
Perfectly drilled and engineered, this pipe is as much a precision instrument as it is a work of art.
…just as a painting is not a work of art until it is viewed, a pipe it is not a finished work until it is smoked. Therefore the last brush stroke is applied by its owner who will continue to paint it and enjoy it for life.
Brugman guarantees all of his work against defects for life.
Length: 5″
Bowl Height: 1 3*4″
Chamber Diameter: 7/8″
Weight: 44 Grams
Materials: Briar & Vulcanite
Grade: dd
100% made in Boston, USA
Todd Brugman Grading System from Lowest to Highest/Best: T, O, d, dd
Grading is 90% based on the grain, and 10% based on the shaping in regards to difficulty and execution
Pipes are stamped “T Brugman” followed by the grade, on the left side of the shank. With “LJ Peretti Co” stamped on the right side of the shank.
