Kai Nielsen: Smooth Apple (VVVV) Tobacco Pipe

A prolific Danish artisan, Kai Nielsen spent his teenage years working for his father, Viggo Nielsen, at the Bari pipe factory which Viggo founded. His early start in the pipe-making world saw him working there full-time when he turned 21, his wealth of experience helping him toward now making handmade pipes of his own. This straight Apple is a fairly hearty piece, though one that keeps the length almost right at five and a half inches long. There's plenty of substance to appreciate in the bowl, with the ample contours of the Apple shape well represented here in the form of plump walls and a low-set waistline. A slight taper to the rim keeps the outline looking soft, and a wide transition leads the eye to a comparatively lengthy stretch of shank that tapers gently to meet a streaked acrylic stem at a junction marked by a light accent band. This pipe displays some lovely grain, all beneath a vibrant auburn stain, including flame grain that pushes through the shank, with cross grain represented on the bowl.