Smooth Bo Nordh Tribute Horn with Ivorite Tobacco Pipe

Formerly known as the American Pipe Making Exposition, our annual Global Pipe Making Exposition features contributions from some of the world's foremost artisans, all united around a central theme. One of the most exciting events of the year for carvers, smokers, and enthusiasts of briar alike, the Global Exposition acts not only as a showcase for the immense talent of these artisans, but a focus for the boundless creativity that these masters of the art possess. For 2025, the theme of our Expo is "In Memoriam," celebrating the life and works of artisans who have passed on, yet whose impact on the craft and those around them is utterly undeniable.

For this year's Expo, Wandi Riyadi honored the legendary Bo Nordh with this stunning rendition of the late artisan's signature Horn shape. Much of Riyadi's work showcases Scandinavian influence, particularly that which can be traced back to Bo Nordh, so it may come as no surprise that Riyadi wanted to officially pay tribute to him.

Bo Nordh was a Swedish artisan who got a jump-start from the very best in Danish pipe making: Sixten Ivarsson. Taking the knowledge imparted to him by the Danish master and expanding upon it in his relentless pursuit of perfection in his craft, Nordh would go on to become a supremely influential carver in his own right. He pioneered several iconic shapes, including the Elephant's Foot, the Sphinx, the Nautilus, and the paneled Horn. Over the years, he made countless iterations of the latter in particular, so it's a fitting subject for a tribute to the late, great artisan.

Riyadi's rendition of the iconic shape encapsulates Nordh's flawless and deceptively painstaking approach to carving. The crisp paneling of this piece emphasizes the distinction between the briar's stunning cross grain and straight grain, and this confluence between grain and shaping was a hallmark of Nordh's work. As a whole, the piece appears effortless, yet the Horn takes a tremendous amount of skill and foresight to execute. Like with many of Nordh's signature shapes, it's an excellent vehicle for straight grain, and it showcases the flowing, harmonious lines of the Danish style. The stummel wears a rich, smooth finish — the obvious choice to further accentuate the briar's flawless grain. An accent band of Ivorite adorns the shank end, adding a pop of brightness to the pipe's color palette. All in all, it's a breathtaking piece, and a worthy tribute to one of the most influential pipe makers of all time.