Danish Estates: Sixten Ivarsson Sandblasted Acorn with Bamboo (1982) Tobacco Pipe

Sixten Ivarsson's importance within the Danish artisan pipe movement cannot be understated, as he essentially started it, setting into motion a pipe making revolution whose echoes are felt to this day. Not only this, but his pioneering work introduced a variety of new shapes into the collective consciousness of pipe makers, the vast majority of which are still crafted today. Sixten started making pipes shortly after World War II and, dissatisfied with the serial shaping style that many marques offered, Sixten began to craft all of his pipes entirely by hand at around the end of the 1950s, shaping the briar first with hand tools and a sanding wheel before drilling last: a technique that has since become the standard for artisan makers but that had never really been seen before in the pipe world. His success with this technique not only afforded him renown, but led to his acceptance of apprentices and his teaching of legendary figures that include Jess Chonowitsch, his son, Lars, Kazuhiro Fukuda, Jørn Micke, and his granddaughter Nanna. His death in 2001 marked the end of an era, but his legacy lives on through his work, the impact it had on the pipe world serving to define the Danish aesthetic and start the revolution of the artisan pipe making movement.

Reminiscent of Sixten's iconic Peewit shape, this Acorn from 1982 is an agile and rather organic pipe, one with a sophisticated and rugged elegance about its build that bespeaks Ivarsson's talent and eye for proportion. The transition is wide and the shank is short, reaching out of the transition with a bare hint of taper before being met by a stretch of bamboo comprising a pair of knuckles, infusing this piece with an organic charm that Sixten's pipes are often regarded for. On the right side of these knuckles, one of the bamboo's divots is extended into the shank very subtly, a feature rarely seen across pipes of this vintage, and something that makes the organic look of this piece immediately cohesive and unifying across two disparate materials. A trim band of black vulcanite caps the bamboo and serves as the junction to a sleek and demurely downturned stem of matching vulcanite, completing the gracile arc through the aft end of this pipe and poising it for comfortable smoking. Up front, the bowl stands on a pronounced heel, its rounded spur naturally expanding into curvaceous walls as they flare out gently and offer ample roundness for the hand to appreciate. This bowl is plump and fairly tall, and its walls surround a respectable chamber, yet it maintains an affable lightness, which makes it portable, maneuverable, and excellent for hands-free smoking if desired. Dressed in an earthy sandblast and a rich, chestnut-toned stain, the stummel showcases blasted birdseye across the flanks of the bowl, while the bamboo provides a pale and eye-catching contrast.