Former: Rusticated Apple Tobacco Pipe

Rightfully regarded as a living legend, Hans "Former" Nielsen has carved pipes since the early 1960s, mastering his craft over six decades. A versatile carver, Former crafts eccentric artisan shapes with some regularity, though he's most known as a master of traditionally inclined pipes. Former approaches each pipe with a meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that each piece is expertly engineered to smoke perfectly, always rendered from top-quality briar.

This Apple is a fine example of Former's precise design and finishing work, and this specific rendition is regarded as his signature. A plump rounded bowl dominates the fore of the composition, with smooth curving walls that rest on a sloping heel and cheeked transition. Out back, a slim round shank tapers slightly as moves back toward a saddle stem that offers an effortless clenching posture. The stummel displays perfectly balanced proportions, all dressed in a distinctive rustication that mimics stacked ring grain around the bowl, with rugged striations running the length of the shank. The finely textured briar is finished in a rich walnut stain, deepening the appeal of the rustication while highlighting flecks of birdseye around the bowl's smooth rim.