Tao: Smooth Bulldog with Antique Whale Tooth Tobacco Pipe

Danish artisan Jens "Tao" Nielsen has lived a storied life, and this life experience has also come to define his work as a pipe maker, specifically his experiences as a sailor. During his time at sea, Tao was inspired by the pipes smoked by his fellow seamen while below decks, where the cramped quarters of the vessel necessitated pipes that were handy, practical, and comfortable. Stylistically, this usually manifests itself as silhouettes with delightfully compact, Nosewarmer-esque dimensions and a defined muscularity throughout, with this Bulldog being a fine exemplar of his personal style.

The thickness of this pipe's build is one of the most immediately arresting features of its construction, with an especially prominent display at the shank, where the briar's striking heartiness takes on an understated taper to its end. This shank is married to a sleek, short, saddle stem of warm cumberland, its slight slenderization placing further emphasis on the bowl and emphasizing the stocky, plump shaping of the stummel. The base of the stem is unique, showcasing impressive accenting work by way of geometrically carved bands of amberoid acrylic and antique whale tooth*, the disparate materials nicely balancing the presence of the bowl and contrasting the pipe's finish well. The shank and stem are both lined with ridges in a diamond-shaped configuration, the pair that frame the flanks lifting at the transition and curling forward to lend the bowl a bit more geometrical appeal and sharpen the heel. Said heel supports the walls as they flare out to a high-set waistline marked with twin beadlines, which additionally denote the rim's soft, domed shaping. Dressed in a smooth finish and a rich, vibrant contrast stain, the stummel displays a wealth of handsome grain, with flame surrounding the bowl, while birdseye peppers the rim: the palette offering plenty of expressive charm.

*While the harvesting of whales is most often thought of in terms of the once widespread whaling industry, small-scale, localized whale hunts have been central to Faroese life since the North Atlantic islands were settled by the Norse, circa 800 A.D. With a climate and soil wholly unsuited to supporting life by farming crops, those who lived on the Faroe Islands learned to subsist upon pilot whale, sheep, seabirds, and fish. The rich meat and blubber of the pilot whale was (and still is) the most important, the annual catch to this day being divided communally then stored, prepared or preserved in Faorese households (in other words, you won't find it in a Faroe Islands supermarket, nor do they export any of it).