Danish Estates: S. Bang Smooth Apple with Horn (A) (pre-1984) 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 Apple quite the tempting piece for those who seek to own work from such a reputed pair of artisans.

A timeless take on the classic shape, this Apple was made before 1984 and exemplifies the talent of S. Bang's artisans and their deft execution of Danish classicism. Though stout, this pipe gives off a refined air, its shank pushing out of a wide transition with just a touch more length than the bowl has height. The transition itself leaves plenty of room to drape a digit, and its outline, though not cheeked, accentuates the presence of the bowl's curvature. Traveling straight out of the transition, the shank's cylindrical build is met with a sleek saddle stem crafted from black vulcanite, one that boasts a broad, handsome accent of horn at the base. Up front, the bowl rests atop a rounded heel, one whose subdued presence marks a slanted, diagonal waistline in concert with a higher-set rounding on the aft wall of the bowl. All this rounding contributes to a comfortable feel in hand, the curves reaching toward a taut rim and providing plenty of space to showcase the briar's rich, grain-defining stain.