Hans Former Nielsen Partially Sandblasted Bent Billiard w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

A pioneer and undisputed master of Danish artisan pipe-making, Hans “Former” Nielsen began his career, aged 15, repairing pipes and delivering orders for Poul Rasmussen at Suhr’s Pibemageri. Later, Former was referred to the W.O. Larsen workshop by Rasmussen, where—after an examination by Sven Knudsen, who had designed many early Larsen models and served as its first foreman—he was recruited as a fully-fledged pipe maker. Within his 10 years at Larsen, Former rose to the rank of workshop foreman, taking over the role from his teacher Sven Knudsen. There he had his own apprentices, including the likes of Teddy Knudsen and Tonni Nielsen. In the years since, Former’s primary output has been high-grade handmade pipes—with 2019 marking his 60th anniversary in the craft.

While Danish master carvers are often associated with novel, or even outlandish, pipe shapes, it’s important to remember that the reason these people are masters is not simply because they can pull off one design or another. Rather, they are masters in large part because they are versatile. If we look at Sixten Ivarsson, Jess Chonowitsch, Erik Nording, or the S. Bang workshop, we find a great variety of shapes, from traditional pots to the modern cobra. The same goes for Hans “Former” Nielsen. You’ll find plenty of Former swans, eggs, brandies, and volcanoes, but the pipes he likes the most—again, like many of his contemporaries—are far more traditional. His “signature pipe” is, after all, a relatively classical, lightweight apple rendition, one that he not only frequently returns to in his work, but that he personally smokes. Looking at the designs he provided for Bentley, back when he managed the company, his preference for traditional shapes is even more apparent, with the majority of those pipes being classic shapes with just a slight Danish edge to them.

This particular pipe is one of Former’s own, handmade pipes, though it plays on a theme explored across his career, including in his Bentley designs. A tall and overall rather large interpretation of the traditional bent billiard, it is a “house pipe” of sorts, not least because of its voluminous chamber. While it is a little more plump than many bent billiard renditions, with a slight touch of the brandy to it, it’s not worlds apart from some of the early, oversized Peterson shapes produced around the turn of the 20th century, especially with its sterling silver army mount. As it is a work of a Danish master, on the other hand, it is immaculately constructed, with a keen eye for proportion, effortlessly organic shaping, and crisp finishing.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original leather sleeve.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.89″ / 48.00mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g