Henri Sorensen: Smooth Bent Apple Tobacco Pipe

Like many famous artisans, Henri Sørensen was an avid pipe-smoker before he developed an interest in carving pipes. Sørensen learned the craft firsthand from Jens "Tao" Nielsen, and his approach to the art is heavily influenced by other Danish legends like Poul Ilsted, Tom Eltang, and Lasse Skovgaard. However, Sørensen's style stands out from his counterparts, as he favors muscular, bowl-forward shapes imbued with a quintessential Danish sense of gesture, although he is no stranger to tidy, traditional forms.

This bent Apple by Henri Sørensen exudes neoclassic Danish charm with its compact muscularity and subtly gestural profile. The hearty bowl possesses plump walls that fill one's hand and provide ample insulation for the chamber. Out back, the stout shank sweeps upward from the transition and quickly gives way to the thick stem base and subsequent saddle, their sinuous form manifesting a quintessentially Danish sense of gesture in profile. Moreover, the stummel is dressed in a vibrant contrast stain, highlighting black and orange streaks of straight grain on the bowl and mesmerizing whorls of bridseye on the broad underside.