Danish Estates: Nørding Smooth Billiard (220) Tobacco Pipe

A trailblazer for the Danish Fancy style, Erik Nørding has been handcrafting pipes since the 1960s. Even before his pipe-making career, Nørding always had a knack for invention. Taking after his father, he worked as a blacksmith when he was 15 years old and later studied engineering, all in preparation to one day take over his family's factory. After graduating, Nørding veered away from running the factory and took up fashioning pipe-making machinery, which would lead him toward making his own pipes. Foregoing Nørding's whimsical style, this traditionally-inclined Billiard displays the Danish carver's versatile range. A robust bowl stands at the fore with an upright posture, formed by sturdy walls traveling from the rounded heel and tapering subtly toward the rim. Out back is a gently lifted shank and jet-black saddle stem, the arrangement granting this piece a sleek profile. Dressing the stummel is a warm, auburn stain that highlights healthy grain.