Tao: Smooth Bent Bulldog Tobacco Pipe

Before becoming a pipe maker, Jens "Tao" Nieslen was a sailor, and as would be expected, he spent much of his life at sea. He traveled the world and sailed from port to port, an experience that informed his approach to pipe making, as the Danish carver typically crafts compact yet muscular shapes that are meant to be easily portable and quite durable. After meeting his wife, Nielsen gave up his sea-faring life and found work at the pipe shop of Wilhelm Jørgensen. He worked there for three years before he met Erik Nørding and was taken on as an apprentice. He eventually left, along with Poul Ilsted, to form the Svendborg pipe factory, which produced a great deal of high-quality pipes. Now, Nielsen crafts pipes under his own name, and he does so with a precision and vigor that has garnered him considerable praise and a loyal following. This bent Bulldog is a fine example of Nielsen's style and craftsmanship, and it showcases his impeccable shaping and finishing work rather brilliantly.

This piece, as is typical for a Tao pipe, is compact in terms of length, measuring less than five inches from bowl to bit. The pipes demure size and light weight makes it perfectly suited to easy clenching and on-the-go smoking. Shape-wise, this piece features a stout, muscular bowl with the form's characteristic domed rim and wrapping beadlines. The beadlines here are crisp and well articulated, and they nicely demarcate the rim from the rest of the bowl's gentle downward taper. The diamond shank's pronounced, rigid lines add a touch of structure to the composition and bleed through the transition to the heel, which is faceted on either flank and forms a V-shape at the bowl's fore. The shank and stem strike a soft S-curve out back that keeps the overall composition fluid and gestural without diminishing the shape's brawny disposition. A glossy, auburn-hued smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights gorgeous tendrils of flame across the bowl as they rise to a rim populated with birdseye.