WO Larsen

W.O. Larsen was, originally, a specialty cigar shop in Copenhagen, established in the mid-19th century. In the mid-20th century, however, W.O. Larsen came to prominence as a retailer for some of the finest pipes in all of Denmark. Around 1960, W.O. Larsen began selling pipes made by many of the founding fathers of Scandinavian post-war artisan pipe making, including Sixten Ivarsson, Poul Rasmussen, Peter “Brakner” Micklson, and Sven Knudsen. Due to high demand, however, W.O. Larsen’s then-manager Svend Bang pursuaded the shop’s owner, Ole Larsen, to set up a dedicated pipe making workshop on W.O. Larsen’s premises.

Soon, W.O. Larsen became one of the most important institutions in post-war pipe making. Not only did it produce excellent (and subsequently very collectible) pipes, but it also served a role in nurturing and showcasing the talents of some of Denmark’s greatest pipe makers. W.O. Larsen’s notable alumni included Hans “Former” Nielsen, Jess Chonowitsch, Teddy Knudsen, Tonni Nielsen, Benni Jorgensen, Lasse Skovgaard, Soren Refbjerg Rasmussen, Ph. Vigen, Poul Ilsted, and Peter Hedegaard.