Kent Rasmussen Sandblasted Asymmetric Elephant’s Foot w/ Masur Birch Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Just when you might have thought that Denmark had exhausted its supply of master pipe makers—artisans capable of crafting works so acclaimed that they command thousands of dollars apiece—along comes someone like Kent Rasmussen. Rasmussen’s rise to fame has been nothing less than meteoric, placing him at a stature on par with various legends who have been making pipes for longer than he has been alive. Yet a familiarity with his background goes a long way to explaining how he got to where he has.

Rasmussen initially trained for a vocation in architecture and engineering, which would occupy him for nearly a decade after completing his studies. He also pursued a career in modern art, working in a variety of mediums, including sculpture, painting, and photography.

By his late 30s, however, Rasmussen had grown discontented with both professions. Looking for a fresh start, Rasmussen turned to something that he had already previously explored, albeit purely as a hobbyist: pipe making. In 1998, Rasmussen met Teddy Knudsen, who was by then one of Denmark’s most celebrated artisans (and who still is today). Knudsen acted as a guide for Rasmussen, helping him along the path to becoming the high-grade, high-demand pipe maker that he is today.

In addition to being a world-class pipe maker, Kent Rasmussen is someone whose pipes consistently push the boundaries of conventional pipe design, even amongst his Scandinavian contemporaries (though one might say that this aspect is part of what makes his pipes so good).

In the case of this one, for example, which I am sure has a given name, I’m inclined to think of it as a unique, asymmetric take on the classic Bo Nordh shape, the Elephant’s Foot. Approached from the right flank, it features the hallmark flattened face, paneled side, and blunt “point” at the bowl’s base, yet a full 360 degree view reveals that this is only half of the story. The left flank features, instead, a far smoother transition from the bowl’s front to its side, making the Foot’s hallmarks on the left seem almost like an outgrowth that expands and travels down before furling back inward again. That Rasmussen considers his pipes to be miniature sculptures might strike as pretentious to some, though when you have one in your hand, it’s hard to think of anything more appropriate.

This pipe is completely unsmoked.

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.69″ / 42.92mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g