Bo Nordh 2005 Sandblasted Nut w/ Bamboo Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Aside from his close friend and early guide, Sixten Ivarsson, one might reasonably say that no pipe maker the post-war period has had a greater impact on pipe making than Bo Nordh. Born in Sweden in 1941, Nordh did not intend to become a pipe maker, instead training as an engineer. A motorcycle accident in his youth, however, cut that ambition short. Confined to a wheelchair, Nordh struggled to find work in the field he had pursued. In the late 1960s, however, Nordh stumbled, by chance, upon the vocation that would define the rest of his life.

Having smoked pipes since he was 15, Nordh began carving his own pipes as a hobby, using pre-drilled kits from a shop in Malmö. These kits were not ideal, but they appear to have contributed to Nordh’s distinct style. Not entirely unlike how the English freehand was born at Charatan, Nordh’s early attempts at making pipes had to contend with the fact that the hobby kits he worked with had poor quality briar, laden with pits and imperfections. Nordh worked as best he could to carve away these portions of the briar, though in most cases there was barely enough wood left afterward for a pipe, which led to Nordh buying more and more kits from Pip-Larsson. But the pipes that Nordh was able to produce attracted the attention of the shop’s owner, Olle Jonsson, who quickly recognized Nordh’s talents and asked to sell the latter’s pipes at Pip-Larsson.
Nordh’s pipes were an instant hit. Jonsson recommended that he pay a visit to Sixten Ivarsson, which Nordh did. This began a friendship that would last a lifetime, and provided Nordh with a little guidance as to the technical aspects of pipe construction, as well as vital information on procuring high quality briar.
The rest, as they say, is history. Over the next few decades, Nordh proved himself a pioneer in “Scandinavian” style pipe making on par with its godfathers, including Ivarsson. He created countless new shapes, many of which would become as common among artisan pipes as billiards and Dublins. This included the Nautilus, the Elephant’s Foot, the Ballerina, the Sphinx, the “Bo Pot” (named after Nordh’s own favorite pipe), and the Ramses.

This pipe, one of Nordh’s very last works, was called the “Nut.” There are affinities to be found with his Elephant’s Foot and Sphinx, along with the Potato Sack created by Ivarsson, in large part due to its elliptical form when viewed from above. It is distinguished, however, by its pointed base and rounded flanks. In this rendition, a shank extension cut from bamboo has been added, giving it an especially svelte stature, as well as a significant lightness.

Bo Nordh passed away in 2006, though even a cursory glance at the artisan scene some 20 years later is enough to conclude that (and to liberally borrow a turn of phrase from Bulgakov), in actuality, Bo Nordh is immortal.

This pipe is unsmoked, with an original bowl coating.

Please note that we will only be accepting payments via bank transfer for this particular pipe.

 

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.22″ / 30.98mm

Weight: 0.9oz / 28g