Danish Estates: Tom Eltang Smooth Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Tom Eltang is one of Denmark's most well-respected artisans, his style often typified by works that lean heavily on the Danish Functionalist aesthetic, prioritizing clean lines and functionality above any extra ostentations. This bent Dublin is a good example of that style, showcasing an extremely clean, sleek-lined build bereft of nearly any ostentation whatsoever. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a gently lifted shank that rises to meet a sleek saddle stem of demurely curved black vulcanite, its base outfitted with a firm expansion ring: the only accent this pipe displays. Up front, the bowl stands on a sweeping heel and grows thick, muscular walls that flare elegantly toward a broad, domed rim, these walls offering enough curvature to make for a comfortable feel in hand. Dressed in one of Eltang's rich contrast stains, this pipe displays handsome grain throughout, with flame wrapping around the bowl and through the flanks of the shank, while birdseye peppers the rim.

-John McElheny