Kai Nielsen: Smooth Bent Apple (Jewel of Denmark) (D) Tobacco Pipe

Kai Nielsen's start in the pipe world was quite early, seeing him working in the Bari pipe factory as a teenager. The factory was founded by his father, Viggo Nielsen, who was a respected artisan in his own right, and Kai began working there full time at 21, further honing his skills and becoming an artisan himself. This bent Apple is a lovely example of Nielsen's work, with a unique outline that's quite nicely balanced, its shaping and grain earning it a Jewel of Denmark grade at "B" level. The shank and stem here are wonderfully sinuous, with a wide, softly cheeked transition seeing the shank flick upward to meet a band of pale acrylic at the junction. The stem here is a length of demurely curved black acrylic that poises this piece well for easy jaw-hanging, its relatively light weight making this feat all the easier. The bowl here is quite Ball-like in its silhouette, with an extreme roundness about the shaping that ensures a comfortable fit in hand. These walls come to a mid-set waist before tapering to the softly chamfered rim, the thick walls surrounding a rather subdued chamber while offering a lovely canvas for the grain-defining chestnut stain dressing the briar.