Lasse Skovgaard: Smooth Bent Apple Tobacco Pipe

Lasse Skovgaard was born into the pipe world. The son of legendary carver Benni Jørgensen, Skovgaard began his journey into the world of artisan pipes at the age of 16, crafting buffalo horn tampers for W.Ø. Larsen before moving on to carve the workshop's prestigious Straight Grain pieces. Since that time, Skovgaard has built a strong reputation for his intuitive skill in shaping, as well as his unique, organic stye.

There's an easy fluidity through the entirety of this pipe's outline that I really enjoy, and I find that it works wonderfully with the soft, supple shaping that's both inherent to the Apple shape and magnified by Skovgaard's carving. The stem is a gently downturned saddle affair that offers an effortless clench. The shank takes on a demure upward arc as it pushes out of the transition, and the silhouette that it creates when paired with the stem is simply alluring. Skovgaard utilizes a technique in a lot of his works that I see in this pipe, one that I appreciate quite a bit and have taken to calling "cradling" — a shaping element that involves a thick transition continuing through the underside of the bowl, as if it were cradling the bowl. This adds visual separation between the two components and allows for the bowl to more fully display its curves, letting the flanks stand independently and pushing the bowl skyward and into prominence. The curves here are particularly nice, with plenty of rounded edges for the fingers to appreciate. A vibrant auburn stain dresses the stummel here, showcasing handsome flame grain that wraps around the bowl, while the underside is rich with peppered birdseye.