Former: Sandblasted Apple with Silver Tobacco Pipe

Boasting 60 years of pipe-making experience, Hans "Former" Nielsen is considered by many to be one of the absolute masters of his trade. The straight Apple has long been a mainstay of his work, is considered his signature design, and is among his favorite pipes to smoke.

A compact piece, this Apple is imbued with classic Danish design cues including clean, softened lines and supple, voluptuous curves. Nielsen's Apples are precisely engineered to be highly functional, superior smoking instruments that need little to no babying, making them fine workhorse pieces that are perfect for carrying around in a pocket. This particular pipe is a fine example of that aesthetic, featuring a slightly forward-ebbing, charmingly plump bowl with a broad curvaceous heel and gradual taper toward the gently chamfered rim. It's paired to a round shank of equal muscularity, the proportions nicely balanced, with a gleaming silver accent added elegant flash. A solid black vulcanite stem tops things off, pairing well with the dark, Danish-style, low-profile sandblast that altogether embodies a dress pipe aesthetic. The carver has shaped the briar in a manner that best accentuates the grain, the tight stacks of ring grain prominently displayed.