Lasse Skovgaard: Smooth Rhodesian Tobacco Pipe

Lasse Skovgaard's formal foray into pipe making, like so many of his Danish peers, began when he took a job at the venerated W.Ø. Larsen workshop. Lasse also benefited from his father Benni Jørgensen's teachings, as well as from Teddy Knudsen — both established pipe makers in their own rights. Lasse went into business for himself as a pipe artisan in 2004 and has been making fine Danish pipes ever since.

A handsome and fluid rendition of the Rhodesian shape, this piece boasts a tall, forward-canted bowl that stands at the fore of a flaring shank and a demurely curved saddle stem. In cross section, the shank resembles a reuleaux triangle, its distinctive build becoming more apparent as it expands out of the low-set transition. The bowl is posed atop a lifted heel, which sweeps toward the transition and carries momentum into the shank-and-stem arrangement, creating a distinctive undercurve that naturally guides the eye across the length of the composition. Topped by a domed rim and a wrapping-ridgeline, the bowl houses a capacious chamber within its muscular frame, ensuring plenty of long, leisurely smoking sessions. Dressed in a honey-hued smooth finish, the stummel offers a rich showing of flame grain and birdseye across the bowl.