Tao: Smooth Bulldog with Amberoid Stem Tobacco Pipe

Jens "Tao" Nielsen's first love was the sea. As a young adult, Tao was a sailor, journeying to many ports around the world and experiencing a wide variety of cultures. After his mandatory Danish military service, he figured he would return to sailing, but his plans changed when he met his now wife. Tao decided to stay in Copenhagen and got a job on the world-famous Strøget street working for a tobacconist. There he developed a relationship with many legendary Danish pipe makers, including Erik Nørding, who offered him an apprenticeship at his workshop. After several years of learning the craft under the likes of Nørding and Poul Ilsted, Tao set out on his own. In his early years, he fashioned many large pipes, but as he grew older, Tao embraced compact pipes, copying the aesthetic of functional pocket pipes he witnessed his fellow sailors smoke years ago. Today, Tao is best known for his traditional shapes such as Billiards, Apples, and Bulldogs, which are lauded for their precise, classic proportions. Additionally, many of his pipes feature colorful stems and silver accents, which make fine partners to the exquisite grain every Tao pipe showcases.

One of Tao's favorite shapes to carve, the Bulldog showcases his talent at rendering crisp lines and supple curves. The stout bowl features two crisp, circular facets that rise up the flanks and frame the sharp heel at the fore. The facets give way to supple curvature as the walls rise to the dual beadlines and begin to taper inward to the trim rim. Out back, the diamond shank showcases a neat taper both horizontally and vertically as it flows from the transition to the stem. Said stem features a wide base that marries to a slim saddle, rounding out the compact form with a sleek flourish. Furthermore, the stem is fashioned from Amberoid, its warm hues complementing the honey-blonde stain on the stummel, which highlights thick streaks of flame grain and whorls of mesmerizing birdseye.