Danish Estates: S. Bang Smooth Rhodesian (PH) (JO) (0130) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

After Svend Bang retired from pipe making, long-time employees Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier took over production of S. Bang pipes and continued the legacy of the prestigious workshop. For nearly fifty years, Hansen and Noltensmeier enjoyed a considerable reputation for their elegant shaping and expert engineering, before the pair eventually retired in 2019. This Rhodesian is a fine example of what made S. Bang's pipe so cherished: sleek line work, soft curves, and an immediately attractive profile.

This piece boasts a broad bowl that stands at the fore of a sweeping shank and a demurely curved saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite. Crisp beadlines accentuate the bowl's broad waistline and denote the rim's domed taper, while the bowl itself possesses a forward cant that adds a touch of dynamism to the shape's silhouette. The shank's ovoid shaping keeps the aft of the composition relatively slender, especially in relation to the robustness of the bowl. An auburn smooth finish ties the shape together and highlights impeccable flame grain across the bowl's flanks and gorgeous whorls of birdseye across the rim.