Danish Estates: Karl Erik Smooth Bent Brandy (C) Tobacco Pipe

This bent Brandy from Karl Erik features a bit of added plumpness at the heel, rather than the iconic lifting aesthetic, signature to Danish shaping conventions. It also features a very well-defined transition and plenty of fluid, sweeping lines throughout. Not only this, but the chamber is ample and the warm, auburn-hued smooth finish is as handsome and timeless as ever, revealing some truly striking flame grain climbing up the bowl and lighting on the shank.

Karl Erik pipes started production around 1965, a few years after founder Karl Erik Ottendahl returned to Denmark from Kenya, where he had worked as a Lithographer after completing an apprenticeship. Unable to find work after his return, Ottendahl began selling pipes, drawing on his experience carving his own pipes in Kenya to craft pieces that would soon push his name into prominence. His production expanded in the late 60s and grew into a sizeable workshop, where he produced high-quality Danish Freehand pieces alongside a number of employees until 1990, when he began to carve pipes by himself again. Ottendahl remained a prolific and celebrated carver into the 21st century, but he passed away suddenly in 2004, his work remaining as a testament to his passion and commitment.