The Shape You Just Can't

[sisyphus]

We all develop specific shape preferences as we mature as pipe smokers. Me, I like Liverpools and billiards in the 30g range, and I am a sucker for pots. Earlier in my pipe smoking I was fond of bent Dublins, and along the way I've had brief flings with other shapes.

The bulldog just doesn't work for me. I no longer own any. I don't care for them bent or straight. I do like squat bulldogs, especially those with a 1/8 bend like the old Dunhill PO:


I would love to own of those, but they're rare as hen's teeth so it's easy to live without. I also once had a Ferndown squat with a huge ufo shaped bowl that I would have kept, if it wasn't almost 7 inches long and 70 grams.

Bulldogs. They just aren't for me.

[Fr_Tom]

I have always liked the looks of bulldogs, and I have several. The bowls are just too small for me to find long-term happiness with them. They get smoked but not binge smoked.

[Ray Mackessy]

I've always preferred the billiard shape because of it's nostalgic value. I'm still stuck in the 50's. I have other shapes in my collection but the billiard shape is more represented. I do prefer straight over bent and am really hung up on pencil shanks.

[Wildcat]

I've loved the Peterson Donegal Rocky Bulldog 150 from afar for a long time and that's probably as close as I'll get to owning one.

I've had Grabow bulldogs like shapes 83 and 60 etc, pass through my possession but gave all away as gifts oddly enough. I guess I wasn't fond of them enough to keep around.

My first restoration was a KW bulldog. I still have it. Always will. That reminds me, I have to get back the pics of it from Photobucket!!

As for shapes I "just can't", the Grabow 81 Author. I love the look, but it's just not a comfortable smoking pipe for me. And I've tried several times lol! But have always come to the same conclusion: nope.

[Kevin Keith]

As for shapes I "just can't", the Grabow 81 Author. I love the look, but it's just not a comfortable smoking pipe for me. And I've tried several times lol! But have always come to the same conclusion: nope.

The 81 was the first pipe I thought of when I saw this thread. It has nothing to do with authors. I have a Rossi 8320 I like but I've had a dozen 81s that I have had to pass on to others. I'm like Frank...I like the look of the 81 but when I smoke it it just doesn't work.

[Ruffinogold]

Tuff decision for me . I guess the shape most represented in my stash is billiardISH . Doesn't have to be a true billiard . I also like a Prince . For something a bit wilder , a volcano . I love a Pot but its a shape I'm most particular about and i dont have many because of it .

[Wickerman]

Is this a 'Bulldog' ?



bought it so far back I cann't remember ? car boot, garage sale, Flea Market ?
apart from the bowl takes a fair ammount of Tobacco to fill
i know nothing about it other than it smokes Great

[Fr_Tom]

It looks like a bulldog to me.

[sisyphus]

I forgot about the Author. I love the shape, but every time I bought one I'd open the package and it'd be so much smaller than I had it in my mind's eye. I've had four but own none.

I did have a Savinelli Punto Oro with a rubber stem and no filter which I really should have kept. That was a nice pipe, I'm just an English guy.

[9 Iron]

I've never really cared for the squat bulldog with the tapered bowl but I do like a big tall saddle stemmed straight like this Ser Jacopo I have:


Smokes no different than a billiard to me.