Poul Winslow Grade B Smooth Dublin w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

As is often the case with the greats of Danish pipe-making, the story of Poul Winsløw begins as one of a master and an apprentice. That master was none other than Preben Holm; the apprentice was a young Winsløw. Holm held Winsløw in especial regard, with the latter ending up as the former’s head assistant in the Preben Holm workshop. After Holm’s untimely passing, Winsløw went solo, and after surviving the slump in the Danish pipes market in the 1980s and early 1990s, he emerged as one of Denmark’s – and the world’s – premier freehand pipe makers.

Poul Winsløw’s finest, high-grade pipes are each graded—with just a few notable exceptions—alphabetically. These pipes begin at grade “E” (with a supplementary “E Ekstra” grade for magnum variants) and then proceed up the alphabet in ascending quality. “D” is higher than “E,” “C” is higher than “D,” etc. This very Danish Dublin is a “B” grade, which is Winsløw’s third highest grade, though only because above “A” are his seldom-made “Private Collection” pieces. Knowing Winsløw’s history, it makes sense that it takes a lot for one of his pipes to attain any letter grade at all, let alone a “B.” As can be seen on this one, the grain has to be near-perfect, with this one’s 360 degrees of straight grain and bird’s-eye putting many a top-tier WO Larsen to shame. Another thing Winsløw’s high grades are known for is their extra ornamentation, with this one having a brass shank ring, an exotic wood ferrule and a sterling silver faux spigot.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. There are a couple of very slight scratches near the nomenclature on the pipe’s underside, but nothing major at all.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.48″ / 37.59mm

Weight: 3.1oz / 88g