Former: Smooth Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Hans "Former" Nielsen has been making pipes for several decades and his portfolio boasts a wide array of signature designs, artisan interpretations of pipe-chart classics, and a shaping style that is at the forefront of Danish pipe design. Former began his career at the young age of 15, when he was hired to repair pipes in Poul Rasmussen's Copenhagen pipe shop, and later worked as a supervisor at W.Ø. Larsen before launching his own artisan pipe-making career. Now, his pipes are eagerly sought after by collectors the world over, and this straight Dublin represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of his less-often produced shapes. Most of the Dublins we receive from Former are of the bent variety, with a straight rendition reaching our eager hands maybe once per year, if that. This example is only the fourth straight Dublin, new or estate, that we have gotten our hands on in nearly a decade, and is made even more unique by its length; it stretches well past six-and-a-half inches, and does so with undeniable elegance.

The flared bowl is canted subtly forward, with the angle of the fore even more eager than the aft, giving it wonderful implied momentum. The effect is amplified by the seamless transition and elongated, arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement, creating a dynamism that exudes a lively personality, but with a reserved note, like an experienced adventurer who is in top shape but refuses to waste energy on foolish pursuits.

Former has shaped the briar masterfully here, orienting the cross-grain orientation in a way that heightens the visual momentum through precise juxtaposition. He arranged the tight striations to radiate down from the negative space above the shank, like invisible energy made manifest in the briar, then brought to life by a stunning contrast stain and glossy smooth finish. An especially delightful touch is the exact angle at which the end of the grain intersects the shank's top and underside as well as the front and back of the bowl: The birdseye presents on all those surfaces at a very subtle angle, stretching the slightest bit to further elevate the pipe's visual velocity. All told, it's simply a triumphant piece from one of the best pipe makers the world has ever seen.