Danish Estates: Preben Holm Smooth Dublin (for Pipe-Lon) (1960s) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Preben Holm, though he sadly died in 1989, was one of the founding fathers of the Danish Fancy school of design, and was one of the major contributors to that school's popularity in the United States. A pipe smoker since 13, Holm had long held a deep fascination with the craft, and, at age 16, began selling pipes to Pipe-Dan, going on to lead a team of 45 employees at 22 years old when he founded his own workshop, finding great success with his Fancy Freehand pieces. This particular Dublin was carved for Pipe-Lon, and features a stunning shape that places nearly all of its visual emphasis on the bowl. Said bowl presents with a triangular, Pickaxe-like shape that flares out dramatically from a pointed heel to a broad rim covered in craggy plateau. This bowl is then paired to a sleek shank via a slight taper of a transition, pushing out to meet a stylized black vulcanite stem, its uniquely rendered expansion rings adding some visual intrigue to the aft end without drawing the visual weight away from the bowl. A unique aspect of this pipe's construction is the bowl's compressed flanks, something that flattens out the overall profile and adds some sleekness, while maintaining the broad expanse of the bowl in profile. Dressed in a warm auburn stain throughout, the flanks of the stummel showcase a wealth of flame grain in dense striations.