Bjarne Nielsen Signature Grade Smooth Panel Dublin w/ Boxwood Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked, 9mm

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?”

My educated guess would be Ph. Vigen. There are a number of reasons for this, such as the shape and the cut of the stem, though the most convincing aspect for me is its overwhelming similarity to other Bjarne Nielsen Signature grades that we’ve sold in the past, and which were confirmed as Ph. Vigen’s work. In fact, one of those pipes also had Vigen’s own stamp on it, which happened occasionally at Bjarne, though not always. Feel free to look through our previously listed Bjarnes and draw your own conclusions, but that’s where my money would be.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. The pipe is chambered to allow for the use of 9mm filters if desired.

Details:

Length: 6.4″ / 162.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.94 / 23.87mm

Bowl Depth: 1.69″ / 42.92mm

Weight: 2.7oz / 78g