Misc. Estates: Vollmer & Nilsson Smooth Shield with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Anders Nilsson and Martin Vollmer are half-brothers that came to the craft of pipe making after reading a book by Bjørn Thurmann. The book detailed how to make a pipe from a pre-drilled block of briar, and the brothers, inspired by their reading, decided to try their hands at pipe making. They quickly found success and started producing shapes like this striking Shield design. As is typical for the form, this piece features a tall bowl with a rounded fore wall that curves from the rim to the sharp heel. A ridgeline wraps from the one flank of the bowl to the other, and along its trajectory, the ridgeline meets the bowl's fore wall and forms the aforementioned heel, creating the "Shield" aspect of the design. The shank here kicks high from the mid-set transition before giving way to a mount of creamy horn that flares into a demurely curved mouthpiece. The mount of horn ensures that this piece can be easily disassembled at any time, even while the pipe is still hot. A smoky smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights an impressive display of birdseye across the fore of the bowl.