Bjarne Nielsen Signature (B) (Ph. Vigen) Panel Dublin w/ Zebrawood Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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.

One common mistake I’ve noticed among Danish pipe enthusiasts and sellers is confusing Bjarne pipes for Bjarne Nielsen pipes. But this confusion is understandable. Bjarne pipes were divided into two main categories: the workshop’s standard output, stamped “BJARNE,” and the workshop’s higher-end output, stamped “Bjarne Nielsen.” All of them were Bjarne pipes; all of them were made under the direction of Bjarne Nielsen himself; and all of them were excellent Danish pipes. But Bjarne Nielsen pipes were a little more special, not to mention expensive. Somewhat like WO Larsen and its Straight Grain grades, Bjarne’s “Signature” grades were made by individual artisans from among the highest echelons of Danish pipe making. These included Tonni Nielsen, Bent Nielsen (Benner), and even Poul Ilsted, so far as I’ve been told. One pipe maker in particular is a firm favorite among the makers of these Signature grade pieces: Jes Phillip Vigen Gertsen, also known simply as Ph. Vigen. Vigen is at once one of the most mysterious and most coveted of the Danish pipe makers, having worked, during his career, at WO Larsen, S. Bang, and Pibe-Dan (later Pipe Dan), with his final years in the craft spent making pipes for Bjarne Nielsen. This happens to be of Vigen’s pipes, having come directly from an old friend of the late Bjarne Nielsen. A panel Dublin sitter hybrid in Vigen’s distinctive style, the bowl is covered in tight, straight grain aligned with the contours of its flanks, with bird’s-eye pooling around its rim. It also features a hand cut cumberland stem with an inlay of what looks to be zebrawood. Within the alphabetical grading system used on some Bjarne Signature pipes, which ran, descending, from “AX,” to “A,” “B,” “C,” and so on, right down to “J,” this one came in just third from the very top, attaining a well-deserved “B.”

The pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original sleeve. This pipe is chambered to allow for the use of 9mm filters if preferred, or may otherwise accommodate an adapter (not included).

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.64″ / 41.65mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g