Bruno Nuttens Hand Made Grade AA Twiggy w/ Horn Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Starting out as a pipe restorer, Belgian artisan Bruno Nuttens moved onto producing his own pipes under the careful guidance of France’s most esteemed master pipe makers, Pierre Morel Jr. Nuttens’ first pipes creating relatively traditional pipes—often using carefully selected, decades-seasoned stummels from France’s historic Saint-Claude factories—but he would soon begin developing entirely handmade pipes in styles that seamlessly blended the old with the new. In the case of the latter, Nuttens was no doubt aided by time spent in the workshop of Danish legend Tom Eltang, where he further developed the skills and techniques behind his craft. Nuttens made such an impact in Denmark, in fact, that he’s been commissioned three times to develop the Stokkebye Pipe of the Year, a number rivaled only by Eltang himself. Today, Nuttens continues to craft high-grade pipes in a variety of styles, including his signature “Bing” and “Twiggy” shapes.

Speaking of which, here we have an example of the “Twiggy.” As the name suggests, it is a long, slender, almost impossibly lightweight design, especially given that it culminates in a tall, conical, Dublin bowl. While comparisons have been made between Nuttens’ Twiggy design and the pipes of other artisans, to my mind, the most likely antecedent (and possible inspiration) would be Nuttens’ principal mentor, Pierre Morel. Morel is famous not only for his excellent pipes, but also his own signature “Fleur” designs (which were also licensed to Chacom). Bearing some similarities to the Danish “fancy” freehands, French “fleurs” are, as the name again suggests, meant to evoke blossoming flowers, with more emphasis put on elegant, floral shaping. One might consider the Twiggy to be a modern, functionalist re-interpretation of the French fleur, as well as a fitting homage to Nuttens’ first teacher.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original (slightly flaked) bowl coating. It comes with its original sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 2.03″ / 51.56mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g