Bentley Former’s Design Smooth Apple Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked, 9mm

Description

If you’re familiar with high-grade pipes – especially those from Denmark – you’ll likely have at least heard of Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen. Former began his career, aged 15, repairing pipes for Poul Rasmussen at Suhr’s Pibemageri. Later, Former was referred to the W.O. Larsen workshop by Rasmussen, where – after an examination by Sven Knudsen, who had designed many early Larsen models – he was recruited as a fully-fledged pipe-maker. Within his 10 years at Larsen, Former rose to the rank of workshop supervisor, having his own apprentices of the likes of Teddy Knudsen and Tonni Nielsen. In the years since, Former’s primary output has been in pipes under his own name, but there have been a few notable exceptions, such as the Bentley make. From the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, Former took over the Swiss Bentley make, using it to create serially-produced pipes of his own design. This new venture would be appropriately dubbed “Bentley: Former’s Design”.

Though apple shapes have been a staple of briar pipes for nearly two centuries, the Danish masters – Former included – had their ways of giving new life to these eminently traditional designs. This Bentley is an example of one of Former’s signature apple renditions, having a distinctive plumpness and a supply curvature that flows from its button to its base. The pipe is finished in a relatively reserved claret contrast stain that nonetheless does well to highlight the flame grain within the briar.

This Bentley is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It is chambered to allow for 9mm filters, whether of the activated charcoal, meerschaum, or balsa variety, or can be used with an adapter for non-filtered use.

 

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.32″ / 33.52mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g