Former: Smooth Bent Egg Tobacco Pipe

Boasting decades of experience in the craft, Hans "Former" Nielsen has rightfully earned his place as one of the premier artisans in not just Denmark, but the world at large. He cut his teeth, for ten years, in the legendary W.Ø. Larsen workshop, where he oversaw and worked with the likes of Teddy Knudsen, Tonni Nielsen, and Jess Chonowitsch. During this time, he honed his sense for not just what was aesthetically pleasing about a particular piece, but how well it functioned and smoked. This bent Egg is a striking testament to Nielsen's impeccable craftsmanship and his keen eye for line and curve.

This bent Egg offers an undeniably attractive outline, its pronounced undercurve immediately drawing the eye and visually uniting the totality of the form. This undercurve continues even through the mouthpiece — a feat Former has accomplished by utilizing a half-saddle stem, which allows the lower half of the mouthpiece to continue the shank's taper.

The totality of the shank-and-stem arrangement lends the aft a comfortable smoking posture and a sinuous poise, all while supporting a tall, supple bowl at the fore. Said bowl possesses an ovoid outline, its walls flaring from a slightly lifted heel to a wide waist before tapering back inward to an aft-slanted rim. The asymmetry of the rim lends the bowl a forward-surging posture that's elegantly counterbalanced by the shank and stem's rearward curl.

A warm, glossy smooth finish completes the ensemble and highlights gorgeous grain across the bowl, with cross grain flowing along the flanks while birdseye graces the fore and aft wall. All and all, it's a suave, eye-catching design that perfectly balances aesthetic excellence with engineering mastery.