Danish Estates: Sixten Ivarsson Sandblasted Acorn with Silver (1986) (Aftermarket Band) Tobacco Pipe

A revolutionary force in artisan craftsmanship, the influence of the late Sixten Ivarsson continues to permeate throughout the pipe-making world. The legendary carver was one who defied convention, with his "shape first, drill second" method coming to define Danish and artisan pipe design as it's known today. This approach allowed him to achieve beautiful grain patterning, with the briar's grain informing the shape a pipe would take on. Figures such as his son Lars, his granddaughter Nanna, Bo Nordh, Kazuhiro Fukuda, and Jørn Micke are among the many talented pipe makers influenced by Ivarsson's work. Ivarsson himself approached the craft with a Functionalist mindset, with said movement having rose to prominence in Danish art and architecture during the 1930s and 1940s. As such, his design philosophy was driven by elegance and efficiency, with practical engineering being the focal point of design.

Among Ivarsson's body of work is his Peewit design, a signature shape that's since been iterated upon by countless artisans. Dated to 1986, this particular Acorn evokes the aforementioned design with its lithe profile and active disposition, though it possesses a more concise plumpness about the bowl. Here, said bowl shows a reserved flare from the pronounced heel to the rounded rim, the overall figure featuring a softened character for a comfortable presence in hand. Out back, a slender shank lifts from the bowl to meet a willowy saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite, the arrangement's posture pairing with a lightweight physique to allow for relaxed clenching between the teeth. Waves of rippling growth rings are revealed across the stummel beneath a crisp, earthy sandblast, with the junction adorned with an aftermarket silver band for a dose of flash.