I freely admit this is melodramatic but Brandy may or may have not been involved while I was thinking of it. It is a repost from my tumblr log.
The Bulldog. It’s a name and description we toss around with immediate familiarity. Phrases such as “built like a Bulldog” and “Bulldog determination” are part of our everyday vernacular. This creature serves as no less then 39 universities mascots as well as the proud totem of the United States Marine Corps. This powerful animal has been a favorite of mankind since the 1500’s where its descendants received their name due to their use in bull baiting. While the modern day Bulldog differs from it’s ancestors in ability, we can still agree that this creature is a remarkable example of function over form. It’s brutal origins and design contrast the silent elegance and pride that this creature carries. It should be no great surprise that the Bulldog pipe is identical to it’s name sake.
I have recently fallen in love with this style of pipe which I find bares so many resemblances to it’s animal name sake. At first glance it seems an awkward beast. A short, compact bowl much like the head and under bitten jaws on it’s canine cousin. The awkward square shaped shank make it hard to grab a hold of much like the nonexistent neck and short torso on the dog itself. How can such a design be measured against the flowing graceful bends of any bent billiard or brandy? Doesn’t the mere streamline nature of the churchwarden subconsciously mock the Bulldog as if it were an arching Grey Hound out pacing it with ease? I used to look at pictures of Bulldog pipes and wonder what the attraction was until the first time I picked one up.
Compacted strength, power, and loyalty. Those are the thoughts that entered my head when I first put my Peterson Bulldog into my mouth. The pipe didn’t seem awkward at all. In fact, it hung perfectly with an ever present weight about it. Instead of being a burdensome weight, it carries it’s own “presence” much like the puff chested dog it is aptly named after. I literally could not put the pipe down. When I would reach up to it’s compact and perfectly rounded bowl, I’d find it fit snugly in my hand, perfectly at ease to be held. The shank shape itself was irrelevant to me because like the dog itself it will not allow you to grasp it submissively by the neck. It wants to be by your side, it’s loyal head in your hand.
Upon smoking, it held it’s steadfast determination and yielded a reliable presence as it smoked evenly and cool. While such characteristics can also be attributed to such things such as pedigree and practice, the core design seems dogged and constant in it’s execution. Powerful, solidly determined, and free from complications, this pipe’s true beauty is in it’s misleading simplicity. The Bulldog holds its head up high, proud, and ready to be of service.
I look forward to our years together.
_Jah76
The Bulldog. It’s a name and description we toss around with immediate familiarity. Phrases such as “built like a Bulldog” and “Bulldog determination” are part of our everyday vernacular. This creature serves as no less then 39 universities mascots as well as the proud totem of the United States Marine Corps. This powerful animal has been a favorite of mankind since the 1500’s where its descendants received their name due to their use in bull baiting. While the modern day Bulldog differs from it’s ancestors in ability, we can still agree that this creature is a remarkable example of function over form. It’s brutal origins and design contrast the silent elegance and pride that this creature carries. It should be no great surprise that the Bulldog pipe is identical to it’s name sake.
I have recently fallen in love with this style of pipe which I find bares so many resemblances to it’s animal name sake. At first glance it seems an awkward beast. A short, compact bowl much like the head and under bitten jaws on it’s canine cousin. The awkward square shaped shank make it hard to grab a hold of much like the nonexistent neck and short torso on the dog itself. How can such a design be measured against the flowing graceful bends of any bent billiard or brandy? Doesn’t the mere streamline nature of the churchwarden subconsciously mock the Bulldog as if it were an arching Grey Hound out pacing it with ease? I used to look at pictures of Bulldog pipes and wonder what the attraction was until the first time I picked one up.
Compacted strength, power, and loyalty. Those are the thoughts that entered my head when I first put my Peterson Bulldog into my mouth. The pipe didn’t seem awkward at all. In fact, it hung perfectly with an ever present weight about it. Instead of being a burdensome weight, it carries it’s own “presence” much like the puff chested dog it is aptly named after. I literally could not put the pipe down. When I would reach up to it’s compact and perfectly rounded bowl, I’d find it fit snugly in my hand, perfectly at ease to be held. The shank shape itself was irrelevant to me because like the dog itself it will not allow you to grasp it submissively by the neck. It wants to be by your side, it’s loyal head in your hand.
Upon smoking, it held it’s steadfast determination and yielded a reliable presence as it smoked evenly and cool. While such characteristics can also be attributed to such things such as pedigree and practice, the core design seems dogged and constant in it’s execution. Powerful, solidly determined, and free from complications, this pipe’s true beauty is in it’s misleading simplicity. The Bulldog holds its head up high, proud, and ready to be of service.
I look forward to our years together.
_Jah76
:
