Dave Neeb and Lee Von Erck Magnum Smooth Volcano with Acrylic (Estate)

Dave Neeb spent the first part of his life as an attorney. Upon retiring, however, he turned his hand to an altogether different vocation: pipes. First, Neeb was a pipe seller; he then learned the art of pipe restoration; finally, under the tutelage of Lee Von Erck and Rad Davis, he took up making artisan pipes himself. This continued for many years, with Neeb’s restoration of high-grade pipes being practiced side by side with the crafting of his own—pipes that deservedly amassed a cult following.

Though Dave Neeb has predominantly worked solo during his pipe making career, he has, on occasion, worked with his former mentor, Lee Von Erck, on a very small number of collaborative pieces. Collaborations of this kind are not unheard of in the artisan pipe making community, though they’re still very rare, perhaps due to how personal the process of crafting a handmade pipe can be. On the other hand, when one’s co-author is a good friend, I imagine the endeavor is much easier.

Though it only bears Neeb’s name, this particular pipe was made by Neeb and Von Erck together, and one can see that it incorporates elements from either’s idiosyncratic styles. Taking a form familiar to both Neeb and Von Erck, the Scandi-American volcano, it’s an astoundingly well grained piece, with “angel hair” striations running a full 360 degrees around its bowl and pure bird’s-eye expressed across the entirety of its wide, flaring base. In keeping with Neeb’s preferences, the pipe features a tortoiseshell acrylic mount and mouthpiece and, as one would expect from a pipe that had any trace of Von Erck in it, it is unabashedly large, making its graining all the more of an achievement.

The condition is good. Minor rim darkening, a couple of small nicks on the inner rim, and minor handling marks.

Details:

Length: 7.2″ / 182.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 2.29″ / 58.16mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g