Bjarne Handmade Smooth Straight Apple Estate Briar Pipe

Description

Bjarne Nielsen was one of the towering figures of Danish pipe-making until his passing in 2008. As the founder of Bjarne, Nielsen employed talented pipe-makers from Denmark to produce distinctly Danish pipes and sold them to a devoted international audience. Among those in his employ were figures such as Mogens Johansen (also known as Johs), Ph. Vigen, Ole Bandholm and Tonni Nielsen. Though Bjarne pipes are no longer manufactured, they are still in good demand by those who enjoy well-made pipes in the tradition of Danish design.

This Bjarne is an uncommonly traditional design from the Danish make, though I have a theory as to why. It’s a nicely plump straight apple, dressed in a very light blonde stain and paired with a tapered vulcanite stem. So, why did its carver opt for something so classic, rather than the designs that we’re more used to seeing from Danish makers? I assume because that’s what the briar block they used wanted to become. Bjarne pipes were shaped by hand, rather than using set machinery to duplicate exact shapes, so the carver of this pipe likely saw that the straight grain patterns that emerged from the block would be well suited for the bowl of an apple while it was first being cut and sanded. This would also explain the use of the blonde stain to emphasize the grain patterns as much as possible.

The condition is very good. There are a couple of dark spots on the rim from its past life, but otherwise it’s just lovely. It even comes with its original box and sock.

Details:

Length: 5.6″

Bowl Width: 19.5mm

Bowl Depth: 1.5″

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g