Former: Smooth Dublin with Silver Tobacco Pipe

It's difficult to overstate just how big of an impact Hans "Former" Nielsen has had on the world of pipe making, not just as a legendary artisan, but as a teacher of other legendary artisans, something that few can attest to. Indeed, after leaving Poul Rasmussen's pipe repair shop in Copenhagen and joining the military, Nielsen spent 10 years working at the W.Ø. Larsen workshop, and it was there that he oversaw the work of names such as Teddy Knudsen, Tonni Nielsen, and Jess Chonowitsch. In his over 60 years of carving, Former has managed to attain a level of skill that few can even dream of, placing himself in a pantheon of mythic figures, simply by virtue of the nearly flawless work that he does.

The Dublin is a shape which Former seldom crafts outside of bent iterations, making each interpretation of the profile a rare and welcome treat. As with most every pipe Former carves, this is a nearly perfect imagining of the shape, one which has been stylized, though is utterly and purely elegant in execution. A wide transition here leaves plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a lengthy, Lovat-like shank which extends toward a dignified fitment of silver, the end being firmly ringed to offer a touch of added muscularity. Paired to the shank here is a trim saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite, balancing the visual weight of the bowl in concert with the shank, though further slenderizing the aft side in stylish fashion. Up front, the bowl stands atop a pronounced, rounded heel and grows thick walls which rise with a slow, measured flare. Said walls are capped with an asymmetrical, plateau-crowned rim which not only adds a wealth of textural organicism to the composition, but urges the eye forward toward the bowl. Lengthy and robust, this pipe offers a reassuring feel in hand, and its timeless form is rife with an understated, regal charm. Dressed in a warm, vibrant contrast stain, the stummel here showcases a wrapping array of flame and straight grain, with flickering tendrils framing the shank and surrounding the bowl.