J Mouton Smooth Bulldog w/ Fossilized Whale Spine Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Born and raised in the small town of Gueydan, Louisana, Jason Mouton’s rise in the ranks of American pipe makers has been nothing less than meteoric—and for good reason. Having crafted duck calls since he was a teenager, Mouton’s first forays into pipe making began with carving tampers. Mouton’s unexpected and substantial successes with these handmade tampers encouraged and allowed him to purchase the equipment needed to create pipes themselves. Studying the works of renowned American artisans such as J. Alan, Grant Batson, and Jared Coles, Mouton gradually developed his own pipe making craft, which was furthered by his exchanges with Greek artisan Chris Asteriou. Today, Mouton’s works are some of the most sought after on the artisan market, a demand which he has responded to—and not unlike his beginnings in carving tampers—by reinvesting his successes into an unwavering advancement of his skills and technique.

This latest batch of pipes from Louisiana’s J. Mouton has included a few “wide shank” renditions, though as is typical for Mouton, each has been very different to the last. This one is likely the most “conventional,” though it is still very much out of the ordinary. With its liberal use of facets and slightly maritime figure, the most obvious point of reference is Poul Ilsted, whose own bulldog renditions followed a similar logic. At the same time, Mouton’s rendition is much closer to the traditional bulldog than Ilsted’s tended to be, especially given its smaller stature and upright posture. Beautifully grained, Mouton’s bulldog also features a stem inlay cut from one of his favorite materials, fossilized whale spine, whose black and blue striations both provide a contrast against the bowl’s light, blonde finish, and resonate in their rippling movement with the dance of the briar’s fiery patterning.

Details:

Length: 4.8″ / 121.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.72 / 18.28mm

Bowl Depth: 1.32″ / 33.52mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g