Danish Estates: Bentley Former Design Sandblasted Billiard (ROM 97) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Hans "Former" Nielsen is arguably one of the most recognizable names in all of pipe making, being one of Denmark's most accomplished artisans and boasting an illustrious carving career lasting over 60 years. In 1986, Former seized the opportunity to modernize an old factory in Kleinlutzel, Switzerland, creating a new line of high-quality pipes that benefit from his impeccable eye for design and engineering. This new pipe line was called Bentley. He spent ten years at the factory, finding success before moving all of the equipment to Lauenburg, Germany, granting control of production to Dan Pipe, and returning to Denmark afterward to focus on his artisan work. Bentley pipes are still produced today and continue to benefit from Former's influence, this Billiard having been designed by Former himself. A timeless and reserved piece, the overall dimensions of this pipe are handy and rather compact, coming in at just a touch over five inches long and maintaining a balanced weight in hand. A wide, low-set transition gives way to a trim shank that reaches out to meet a sleekly tapering black vulcanite stem, the slenderness of the aft side placing further emphasis on the presence of the bowl. Said bowl stands atop a rounded heel, its low-set waistline giving way to gently tapering walls that surround a capacious chamber and provide ample space to showcase the stummel's dark, inky sandblast.