Bjarne Smooth Brandy Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

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.

Bjarne Nielsen prided himself on offering pipes that were “exclusive,” with a tagline for Bjarne pipes that read “the exclusive ones.” Part of this was, of course, a gesture to the high quality of Bjarne pipes. But another part regarded the individuality of each pipe Bjarne sold. Bjarne catalogs, for example, claimed that each pipe was “as individual as your finger prints.” Unlike Bjarne’s contemporaries at Georg Jensen, Stanwell, Kriswill, or even, to an extent, W.O. Larsen, Bjarne pipes were not produced according to a shape chart, no matter how loose. And, having come across countless Bjarne pipes in my time, I find the claim quite accurate. This one is a very Danish brandy, with a large, plump bowl perched atop a comparatively short and narrow stem. Interestingly, though, it’s not quite as round as the more typical Danish brandy, incorporating sharper lines that have it sat about halfway between the Danish and the Anglo-French genres of the shape.

The condition is very good. Minor inner rim darkening and slight finish fading.

Details:

Length: 5.9″ / 149.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.67″ / 42.41mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g