Lasse Skovgaard: Sandblasted Bent Apple 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 fetching rendition of the bent Apple shape, this piece boasts an almost Italian neoclassical build, with the plump, full-bodied bowl taking up most of the visual weight within the composition, overshadowing the comparatively lithe shank-and-stem arrangement that brings up the rear. That being said, in typical Skovagaard fashion, the shank and stem play an integral role in the pipe's construction, with the shank actually undergirding the bowl, almost holding it aloft when viewed from a specific angle. The bowl's rounded curves conform naturally to the hand, while the shank-and-stem arrangement's gentle upturn promotes a comfortable smoking posture. It's all dressed in an auburn-hued sandblast that draws out rippling grain throughout the stummel, save for the rim and shank end, which are both left smooth for contrast.