Former: Smooth Rhodesian Tobacco Pipe

Once supervisor of the prestigious W.Ø. Larsen workshop and manager of Bentley pipes in Switzerland and Germany, Hans "Former" Nielsen has been crafting pipes for over sixty years, including his own handmade work still available today. His pipes are among the most collected and renowned in the world, and he's as much a capable machinist and craftsman as he is a discerning artist: His pipes are the pinnacle of engineering and quality, and his shaping style adheres to artisan renditions of timeless designs. Former's portfolio comprises countless Apple and Billiard designs, among other classics, and while the Rhodesian isn't the most ubiquitous shape from the Danish carver, this example exhibits the clean, refined, and elegant style for which he's known.

Though only five-and-a-half inches in length, this piece maintains considerable heft and chamber capacity, with a profile that's dominated by the bowl. In classic Rhodesian fashion, the bowl features dual beadlines, separating the two tapers toward the rim and heel just like a Bulldog but with a softer disposition and without the Bulldog's defining diamond shank. Here, Former has shaped an oval shank, and it maintains the Rhodesian's inherent softness but also serves to accentuate the bowl's dominance in profile — the shank sleek and slender by comparison, furthered by the saddle stem. It's a composition full of contrasting proportions, and the smooth, mahogany stain highlights vertical grain that aligns with the bowl's shaping.