Bjarne Nielsen Signature Grade (C) Smooth Pot w/ Bamboo 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.

While the company was still operational, 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. Somewhat like W.O. Larsen and its Straight Grain and Birds Eyes grades, Bjarne’s “Signature” grades were made in their entirety by individual artisans from among the highest echelons of Danish pipe making. These included Tonni Nielsen and Jes Phillip Vigen Gertsen, also known as Ph. Vigen. And just like W.O. Larsen’s highest-end pipes, the question that inevitably follows is: “So, who made this Bjarne Nielsen Signature grade pipe?” In the case of this one, there is admittedly much less to work with in terms of distinctive features that would help settle such a matter. It is a bamboo-shanked pot, after all, a genuine staple in Danish pipe making, going back all the way to its [Swedish born] godfather, Sixten Ivarsson. However, there are some minor details that would point to Ph. Vigen as a strong contender. Vigen made plenty of bamboo-shanked pipes, just like his peers, but he was also very fond of accents and inserts, often incorporating them into designs that would otherwise not seem to call for one. A notable example is in his bamboo-shanked pipes, which Vigen often accented with briar, just like on this one. And, just like on this one, Vigen used this quite idiosyncratic accenting of his bamboo-shanked pipes as extra space to stamp his pipes—again, just like on this one—as such shank extensions do significantly decrease the space of a design where nomenclature could be placed (unless you want to go the more tricky route of putting it on the bamboo itself). As such, I would be more inclined to think this is one of Vigen’s than anyone else in the Bjarne milieu, albeit with slightly less certainty than some of the other Signature grades we’ve had in.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. Some very light scratches on the bowl, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.35″ / 34.29mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 34g