Kai Nielsen: Smooth Volcano (Jewel of Denmark) (A) Tobacco Pipe

A prolific Danish artisan, Kai Nielsen is the son of Viggo Nielsen, the founder of the Bari pipe factory where Kai would get his start in the pipe world, working there for pocket money as a teenager and joining full-time at 21. In the years since, he's crafted handmade pipes of his own, and this Volcano showcases his distinctly Danish approach to modern classic profiles excellently, with plenty of stylized detail for one to appreciate when smoking. The stem here is a sleek and demurely bent length of jet-black half-saddle acrylic, keeping the undercurve of this piece consistent while still attaining a lithe look that accentuates the taper toward the rim. A comparatively trim shank curves just a touch as it reaches out of the wide transition, paired rather low to the bowl. Said bowl is rather reserved for a Volcano, maintaining the form's lengthy, forward-urging taper to the rim, though in a smaller package, keeping the weight down and the overall size of this pipe handy. A ridgeline wraps around the underside to form a base that continues through the lower flanks of the shank, running all the way to the button as it pushes into the stem. This added structure makes this pipe quite compelling and works well with the subtle curves of the silhouette, each enhancing each other. Dressed in a vibrant, glossy, auburn-hued stain, this pipe reveals some handsome grain throughout, the black stem keeping the palette understated and elegant in this A-grade Jewel of Denmark piece, as a trim band of white acrylic at the junction offers contrast.