Tonni Nielsen Smooth Freehand Sitter with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Tonni Nielsen started making pipes at the age of 16, when he started working at W.Ø. Larsen. He counts fellow Danes Teddy Knudsen and Hans "Former" Nielsen as his mentors, and began selling his own pipes in 1978, five years before he moved to the United States. Tonni considers the mouthpiece to be an extremely important piece of the pipe — "at least 50%" of it, in his own estimation — and takes a wide variety of inspirations, including from his walks in nature.

This Freehand of Tonni's making is closest to a bent Dublin in its shaping, featuring a small spread of plateau on the wide, inflated rim and a small platform on the heel allowing the pipe to claim Sitter status. A wealth of flame grain decorates the bowl, which is smoothly finished and stained a light mahogany for a warm, reddish-brown appearance. The shank sweeps upward in a very swift motion leading up to the accent of horn, which consists of a cylinder matching the girth of the shank followed by a slightly broader ring. The stem is a half-saddle of vulcanite with the shoulder on top, arcing to a narrow bit. All in all, this is a thoroughly Danish and thoroughly well-made piece on Tonni's part, showcasing a great eye for grain and a great sense of motion as it relates to this particular stummel.