Henri Sorensen: Smooth Bent Billiard with Brass Tobacco Pipe

Henri Sørensen works out of the small town of Rørup on the Danish island Fyn and was originally a glazier by trade, though came into the craft of pipe making as a smoker alongside his brother. As the two continued on their journey into the pipe world, Henri took on the challenge of making their own pipes, eventually apprenticing under Jens "Tao" Nielsen. Further training under Tom Eltang and Lasse Skovgaard saw Henri begin to craft pipes under his own name, taking inspiration from his mentors as well as iconic Danish masters, like the late Poul Ilsted, while developing an aesthetic all his own.

This bent Billiard is one of the most conservative offerings we've received from Sørensen thus far, with an easy, fluid bit of curvature through the shank and stem that offers a comfortable smoking posture. Its impressively compact overall length of just over four and a half inches affords it an excellent jaw-hanging stature, despite its rather robust build, and makes for an eminently portable pocket pipe that's as handsome as it is practical. A wide transition leaves plenty of room to drape a thumb before introducing a short, broad, tapering oval-shaped shank that extends to meet a trim band of black vulcanite followed by a slightly thicker ring of brass. Following this accent, the demurely arced stem of matching black vulcanite continues the taper of the shank, its slight lift doing well to balance the visual weight of the bowl. Said bowl rests atop a firm, slightly lifted heel which additionally marks the low-set waistline, forming walls that take on a Brandy-like taper to the subtly inflated rim. Dressed in a vibrant auburn stain, this pipe showcases some handsome grain throughout, with wrapping flame grain through the shank and around the bowl, while the underside is rich with birdseye.