Danish Estates: Peter Hedegaard Smooth Bent Apple (FP2) (9mm) Tobacco Pipe

Like many carvers of his generation, Peter Hedegaard cut his teeth in the prestigious W.Ø. Larsen workshop, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of legendary artisan Hans "Former" Nielsen. Hedegaard enjoyed a long, illustrious career that spanned 31 years before his unfortunate passing in 2007, but he left behind an impressive portfolio full of rich shapes, like this bent Apple. It's a muscular, full-bodied rendition of the classic shape, with a broad, heavy-set bowl affixed to a curling shank-and-stem arrangement by a robust transition. The plump heel, low-set waistline, and cheeked transition contribute to the bowl's chubby appearance and visual heft. The shank wraps underneath the bowl and bolsters the stocky proportions at the fore of the composition, providing a sense of structure and foundation to the pipe's construction. It's all handsomely dressed in a warm, traditional, smooth finish that showcases some tight licks of flame grain on either flank of the bowl for plenty of visual appeal.