Danish Estates: S. Bang Smooth Apple (0318) (2003) (9mm) Tobacco Pipe

After Svend Bang retired from the S. Bang workshop, longtime employees Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier took over production and continued the marque's legacy until their eventual retirement in 2019. There pipes are regarded for their expert shaping and superb engineering, and since the workshop's dissolution, S. Bang pipes are highly sought after items, making this 2003-era Apple something of a find. This piece possesses a rotund bowl comprised of supple curves that build to a high-set waistline and softly inflated rim. Out back, the shank-and-stem arrangement glides from the low-set transition in an arrow-straight line, keeping most of the visual weight anchored with the bowl. A dark, contrast-stained smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights the fine strands of flame grain that rise from the narrow heel to the expansive rim of the bowl. Elegant, handsome, and expertly rendered, this is an unmistakably masterful bit of craftsmanship, and a piece that will surely become the center of any collector's rotation.