What Are the Benefits to a Bulldog Shape?

[mikethompson]

Kind of a curve ball here, but there are a few pipes I'm looking at that have a definite 'bulldog-esque' style to them, namely a flat, wide bowl that isn't very deep.
Are there any benefits to this shape? Does the wider bowl impart flavours better?

 

[johnbarleycorn]

They’re cool as hell. Is that a benefit?

 

[aldecaker]

"Does the wider bowl impart flavours better?"
That probably depends entirely on the tobacco, but they look sexy and feel great in the hand, so that's a plus.

 

[npod]

It is my understanding, based on asking lots of questions, that the bulldog was originally easy to make by machine in the factory. Think early French and English factories. From there it became more of a niche in the artisan world and a way to add a bead line that demarcated grain at the base of the bowl from that at the top. But these are just observations I’ve picked up.

 

[matchstickman]

I've always been a fan of form that follows function, and since the bulldog shape burns anything you put in it remarkably well, I can say I'm a big fan. I have a few of them and none of them are bad in any way.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Does the wider bowl impart flavours better?

I don't believe the size or shape of a bowl has anything to do with improving how a blend burns or tastes. I do strongly believe, however, that the size of the tobacco chamber within that bowl does indeed.

 

[seanv]

I have a Brigham Acadian bulldog size 16. Smokes vapers incredibly well.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm not a huge fan of the bulldog shape aesthetically but I am a fan of how nicely that shape smokes Virginia Flake. I lean a bit more to the similar Rhodesian shape that I like more aesthetically but still maintains the thick bowl that delivers a cool smoke.

 

[warren]

Shapes can look good or bad depending on face shape. A round face can make a bulldog look very good and, vice versa. "Der Bingle" knew a Canadian and other small bowl, straight bits looked good with is face. Of course all of that is only for those who are concerned with appearance. But, some smokers do check out appearances, it's why my tobacconist kept a mirror behind the tobacco bar.

 

[olkofri]

English blends seem to smoke better in square-ish bowls. Unfortunately, the site which contained an analysis of the thermodynamics of pipe smoking is gone from the Web. I have a copy on my 'puter, though; feel free to PM me your E-mail and I can send it to you.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Never cared for bulldogs and really haven't noticed a difference in chamber shapes as to how they smoke. One tobacco tastes the same to me in any pipe. I say if you see a pipe that speaks to you, grab it!

 

[exbenedict]

I personally love the bulldog shape. The first one I bought was an Ashton, and I happen to be smoking it right now. I love it and have no complaints. Good draw, a good clencher if a tad heavy, and I am smoking a rubbed out HH Burley FLake and it is pure bliss.....but I may be a bit biased, as I said, I like them regardless.

 

[buster]

For me I like Bulldogs because they feel good in the hand. I like panels for the same reason. Angular stem or bowl seem to just fit? Just a personal preference because it feels right. All of mine seem to smoke well also so, yeah. I have a few of each.

 

[olkofri]

My personal preference is a squat bent bulldoggie. But I'm yet to own one.

 

[madox07]

I only own one bulldog, a half bent, courtesy of fellow pipe smoker Ashdigger. One of my personal favorites, especially for reading. Good clencher, reliable smoker, I only wish I could find more of these pipes.

 

[alexnc]

I'm not sure why I like them. I have a traditional bent, and a few rhodesians. At first it was tradition, then I found some more modern takes. I started feeling that my thick walled pipes just seemed to be becoming my favorite smokers for reasons I cannot pinpoint. They smoke cool, they're very cool to the touch, barely warm at the end of a full smoke. But I don't think I would say that they taste any different.

 

[kcghost]

I know I really like the bent ones aesthetically and that carvers really dislike them.

 

[mikethompson]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I don't know where I had heard it, but I thought maybe a wider bowl and more 'burn surface' had some sort of inherent benefit.

 

[bigpond]

I’ve seen a bunch of vintage pipe and tobacco related ads that show the bulldog as a sportsman’s pipe. It could just be that the angular, squat design has a masculine affectation but the saddle bit, and robustness would seem to make for a sturdy pipe for the purpose. Today, bulldogs come in all sizes so I think it’s harder to generalize much benefit. The few bulldogs I have are smallish pipes with saddle bits and balance better than the rest for an easy clench on the go.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Bulldog, bulldog, bow-wow-wow. Borrowing from a Yale song.
It virtually barks its masculinity above all others. My most feminine pipe is named after a son of a monarch.