Lasse Skovgaard: Sandblasted Bent Apple Tobacco Pipe

Lasse Skovgaard's considerable pipe-making abilities appear to be both rooted in genetics and also accomplished through hard work and dedication. A second-generation Danish artisan, he was introduced to the trade by his father Benni Jørgensen, and also cultivated from Teddy Knudsen, among others. At 18, Skovgaard began working for renowned workshop W.Ø. Larsen, where many of his fellow pipe makers also spent time. He struck out on his own in 2004, setting up his own shop and has since commanded a loyal following. The pipes in his portfolio range from classic shapes to more creative, Freehand-like designs, with this bent Apple demonstrating elements of both.

Organic and thoroughly Danish in its design, this piece features an affably plump, forward-canting and bulbous bowl that displays supple curves and a gradual, gentle taper to its rim. Voluptuous in hand and with cheeking at the transition, the bowl is poised pertly at the end of a sweeping, gestural, and lifting shank, a band of briar at its end smoothly stained a light mahogany hue for contrast. It's topped by a hand-cut, gently downturned vulcanite stem that, along with the pipe's light weight, promotes a comfortable smoking posture. This soft-lined piece is wearing a Danish low-profile, dark sandblast, showing off stunning, tight-knit striations of growth rings, the coloring of stummel and mouthpiece lending this Apple a rather formal aesthetic.