Sebastian Heck Smooth Panel Shank Bulldog w/ Plateaux Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Sebastian Heck is part of younger generation of highly skilled artisans to have emerged from Germany in recent years. Based in Heidelberg, Heck took up pipe smoking—and, ultimately, pipe-making—as part of a conscious effort toward slowing down in an otherwise constantly accelerating modern world. Like many pipe makers, Heck took his first steps into the craft as a restorer of estate and heirloom pieces, which in time brought with it an expansion of his workshop and the tools housed within it. With this as a base, creating new pipes of his own was a natural progression. Heck’s development has been greatly influenced by the Danish and German schools of pipe design, and has included time spent learning directly from fellow German artisans, such as Dirk Heinemann.

Wide shank bulldogs are by no means a new phenomenon, with “Eskimo” and “Inuit” variations being popularized by figures such as Ed Burak and Tom Eltang decades ago, and are indeed a staple shape of east European pipe making especially. This faceted rendition from Sebastian Heck, however, might be said to have more in common with a Poul Ilsted than any of the above, albeit with a distinctly squat twist. Long and low-slung, Heck’s bulldog nonetheless carries with it a palpable sense of speed, in part due to the way in which its grain appears to “leap” at a forward angle, and in part due to the slight tapering of the shank as it moves toward the pipe’s saddle mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.25″ / 31.75mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g