Description
Todd Brugman Canadian Stack With Octagon Shank & Limited Edition Vulcanite Stem
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; when you see a Brugman pipe, you know it is a Brugman; a hallmark of a good pipe maker who is “painting with their own hand.”
This Canadian has a tall “stack” bowl that has an ever so slight flair, technically making it a Dublin. Yet the shank to bowl to stem ratios are of the Canadian family of pipe, and the shank is an oval (paneled into an octagon) with a tapered stem, therefore, it meets the classical definition of a Canadian. It isn’t unusual for a pipe from Brugman to be unique, making it not fit any classic shape definition perfectly, or meeting various English shape chart definitions. Despite all of this, his work including this pipe, has a timeless aesthetic while clearly being unique and contemporary.
The straight grain encompassed the totality of the bowl with a staccato yet organic nature, it also follows the side panels perfectly. It is complimented by stunning tight birds-eye that can be seen on the rim, and most prominently the heel, bottom of the shank on all three bottom panels, and top of the shank, all three top panels.
Every shaping and compositional decisions by Brugman is deliberate, by design, and fully thought out, the same is the case with the engineering.
One very sticking and noticeable part of this pipe is how its contours create a biomorphic shape with a strong sense of geometry, a common theme in Brugman’s work.
This pipe will clench easily and comfortably with it being very light in weight for only 36 grams. 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 (in volume, as it is the width of a group 3 billiard, yet its extra height adds to it).
The tall, stack, chamber made from the highest quality briar will allow a nice long sweet smoke.
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.
“…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.” This stem with the blue hued swirls, is more colorful than is typical for Brugman, yet it retains its classic look and feel. 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 5/8″
Bowl Height: 2 1/8″
Chamber Diameter: 3/4″
Weight: 36 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.
