Danish Estates: Stanwell Sandblasted Potato Sack (21) (c.1950s-1970s) Tobacco Pipe

The Potato Sack is one of the most intriguing shapes in Danish pipe canon, a simultaneously sleek and robust pipe that boasts a singularly shaped bowl. Originally designed by Sixten Ivarsson, the father of the modern artisan pipe-making movement, the profile is seen here in the "21" as made by Danish marque Stanwell. Iconic and plump, the piece balances a hearty bowl at the fore of a slender shank and stem, the bowl itself being expanded out at the flanks, while the fore and aft are more tightly-knit. This bowl stands on a descending, pronounced heel and rises to a domed rim, its broad walls offering an impressive and muscular feel in hand. A wide transition out back gives way to a gracile, lifting shank that's met with a demurely curved saddle stem of black vulcanite, creating a comfortable smoking posture. Crafted between the 1950s and 1970s, this pipe is finished in a crisp, earthy sandblast, revealing handsome grain and maintaining a timeless look.

During World War 2, while Europe was embroiled in turmoil, briar scarcity and limited international shipping meant that Danish pipe smokers couldn't obtain pipes from England. To fill this void, Poul Nielsen began making pipes out of beechwood under the name Kyringe. After the war, Nielsen transitioned to making briar pipes and eventually changed his brand's name to Stanwell. Stanwell became an immensely popular marque that often collaborated with notable Danish artisans, like Sixten Ivarsson, Jess Chonowitsch, Anne Julie, and Tom Eltang.