Danish Estates: Jess Chonowitsch Smooth Pot Tobacco Pipe

The son of the venerable Emil Chonowitsch, Jess Chonowitsch has achieved a level of recognition that has vastly outgrown that of his father. This is not to say it has been unearned, no, quite the opposite in fact, as his start in pipe making was filled with hard work and many advisors. He started working with Poul Rasmussen repairing pipes in the Suhr shop for two and a half years, helping Rasmussen's widow Anne Julie after his death two years into his work. After this, Chonowitsch began to work at W.Ø. Larsen, making pipes, mouthpieces, and doing finishing work under Hans "Former" Nielsen, while, in the evenings, apprenticing under the father of modern Danish design: Sixten Ivarsson. During his time with the legendary artisan, he learned the skills necessary to elevate his own work to a degree that has made his name synonymous with superlative, and that changed the pipe world forever.

This Pot is a more conservative example of his work, presenting as a straightforwardly Danish rendition of the classic shape, with a great deal of curvature to it despite the deceptively simple nature of the shape itself. The shank here is quite trim, though stands in even proportion with the bowl, and takes on a gentle taper from the rim, one which continues through the stem and to the shank, keeping the aft side of this pipe rather sleek. That being said, this part of the composition still stands out against the bowl, as there is just enough body through the shank and stem base to keep things looking robust, effectively centering the visual weight at the transition. Said transition is quite wide and very smooth, leading to a squat, full-bodied bowl whose ample softness keeps it feeling wonderful in the hand. This bowl sits atop a sweeping, rounded heel that, while not lifted, offers some extra verticality to the bowl's walls and pushes its easy curves and gentle taper to the inflated rim into prominence.

Dressing this piece is a warm auburn stain that's been finished in a slight gloss, revealing dense streaks of flame and straight grain which wrap the bowl and run through the flanks of the shank. The rim, top of the shank, and the entire underside are covered in swirling pinpricks of birdseye, keeping things looking quite beautiful when gazed upon from any angle. If you're looking for truly excellent smoking qualities and unparalleled classic Danish aesthetics, all coupled with a tantalizing display of grain, this piece may very well be for you.