German Estates: Oliver Brandt Smooth Bent Egg (BA) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Max and Oliver Brandt were a father and son team of pipe carvers from Germany who collaborated on a line of pipes called Brandypipes, also carving pieces of their own make in the meantime. This bent Egg comes to us from the elder, Oliver, and showcases a striking kind of shaping that places the bowl at the center of attention. Said bowl showcases a bulbous, pronounced heel that's quite supple in its rounding, tapering, Brandy-like, to the rim after pushing out to form its mid-set waistline. This extra material through the heel lends the fingers plenty of substance to appreciate, and its ample roundness gives it a very comfortable feel in hand, especially given the wide transition's open space to drape a digit. The transition itself is actually slightly mid-set on the bowl as well, in line with the waist and starting the travel of a high-reaching stretch of shank whose end is well above the bowl's rim, and from here it's married to a trim cumberland saddle stem which takes on a demure downturn for easy smoking. This is quite an active profile overall, and one with plenty of curvature to appreciate as well, and the vibrant auburn stain of the briar only enhances its appeal, revealing lovely streaks of flame grain surrounding the bowl and running through the flanks of the shank. Unsmoked.