Danish Estates: S. Bang Smooth Bent Dublin (B) Tobacco Pipe

Throughout the S. Bang workshop's history, there were several changes to its structure, with a fair few carvers passing through its doors before, in 1971, it was finalized. For nigh on 50 years the duo of Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier crafted every single pipe that passed from the doors of the S. Bang shop, garnering an excellent reputation for extreme attention to detail and a focus on superior smoking qualities. In 2019 the pair retired, leaving behind a legacy of superlative work only to be obtained on the estate market, making this bent Dublin quite the tempting piece for those that seek to own work from such a reputed pair of artisans.

It's no surprise that these pipes are so desirable, even just by looking at this one, as it's been proportioned excellently, with the bowl's plumpness drawing the eye toward it. However, the shaping achieves this in a manner which still allows for the shank and stem to be easily appreciated, something that the stem itself is responsible for: it's length and demure curvature balancing out the bowl's flare. There's also a lot to say about the fluidity of this pipe. Yes, many bent Dublin renditions showcase an S-curve to their build, though this one pulls it off in a manner that is so gentle, so easygoing that it simply urges the eye to explore it. This S-curve gives the heel a firmness that supports the breadth of the bowl quite well, the walls flaring upward to a gently undulating ridgeline just below the rim. Said rim showcases a lovely, soft inflation that reinforces some of the softness of the walls, while the rim's slope near the chamber makes loading tobacco easy. A warm mahogany contrast stain dresses the briar here, with dense striations of flame and straight grain encircling the bowl, popping out in relief against its lighter background. The rim showcases a swirling field of birdseye, with pinpricks peeking out from beneath a tumultuous sea of alluring grain.