Nørding: Royal Flush Smooth Horn (Ace) Tobacco Pipe

Quite the different piece from Erik Nording, compared to his more prevalent Fancy Freehand work, this Horn is part of his Royal Flush series of pipes, with "Ace" stamped pieces such as this among its highest grades. Quite sinuous, this pipe maintains the languid curvature that's so iconic to the shape, though with some extra firmness at the junction, thanks to the marriage of thick, acrylic bolstered shank and slightly more slim stem. There's a consistent expansion of briar from the shank end to the rim, and the bowl here is proudly upright, with a softly inflated rim that adds a soft element to the composition. Dressing this piece is a deep chestnut stain that reveals some striking seas of birdseye on either flank of the bowl, as well as well-developed cross grain across the rim.