Danish Estates: Svendborg Smooth Bent Brandy (E) Tobacco Pipe

In 1969, legendary Danish carvers Poul Ilsted and Jens "Tao" Nielsen founded the Svendborg workshop. The pair oversaw the production of the workshop's pipes through the 1970s before eventually leaving to pursue their individual pipe-making careers. A great deal of handsome pipes came out of the workshop, and this bent Brandy is one such design. Though the bowl here is rather muscular and tall, the overall shape is compact, measuring less than five inches in total length. The high-climbing transition and the vertically inclined shank and stem keep the overall composition tightly knit. The demurely curved half-saddle stem encourages a comfortable, hands-free smoking posture, while the bowl's bulbous waistline nicely accommodates wrapping fingers. A smoky, chestnut-hued smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights fine strands of flame grain across the flanks of the bowl.