Lasse Skovgaard XL Smooth Calabash w/ Boxwood Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Danish pipe-making is notable not only for its masters, but its dynasties. The most famous is, of course, Sixten Ivarsson and his son Lars Ivarsson and granddaughter Nanna Ivarsson; but there is also Anne Julie, her son Bernhard Julie, and her grandson Johannes “Suhr” Rasmussen; Ib Loran and his daughter Tine Loran; Kurt Balleby and his daughter Tine Balleby. The list goes on. And it would not be complete without a mention of Lasse Skovgaard Jorgensen, the son of WO Larsen alum and carver of its Straight Grain pipes, Benni Jorgensen. Lasse himself made WO Larsen pipes as a teenager and debuted his solo work in 2004. In the years since, he has become such a renowned figure on the international high-grade scene that his parentage is an afterthought, if a thought at all.

In addition to the introduction of a secret sandblasting technique, Benni Jorgensen’s tenure at the helm of the WO Larsen workshop coincided with some of the most organic designs the workshop put out. Many of these were Jorgensen’s own Straight Grain grade pipes, which are quite recognizable when one looks at the pipes made under his own name. Of course, this is a Lasse Skovgaard pipe, not a Benni, but Lasse’s own style is another of those things in Danish pipe making that appears to be very much “in the blood.” The difference is that Lasse has arguably gone even further than Benni in making the dead root that is briar look alive once more. While I’ve labeled this one a calabash, something like a “mushroom,” or “mushroom Dublin” would be more appropriate. Not just because it’s all one piece, but also because of how closely it resembles the fruiting, parasol-like cap of wild forest fungi. Such forms have become periodic motifs in Lasse Skovgaard’s portfolio, no doubt in part because, like shapes such as the cobra and the elephant’s foot, they provide a broad surface through which to transmit a mesmerizing field of bird’s-eye grain. In addition to this, the geometry of the cap’s underside is some of the most unique to any pipe shape currently conceived, with the result being some of the most stunning expressions of briar’s natural patterning that I’ve personally ever seen.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. There are a couple of natural imperfections in the boxwood stem accent, though that’s par for the course with boxwood and shouldn’t be cause for concern. The pipe also comes with its original sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.50″ / 38.10mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 80g