Neerup Basic 4 Smooth Panel Brandy Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Peder Jeppesen is a Danish artisan who, with his son Noah, crafts P. Jeppesen and Neerup pipes. As is tradition in Denmark, Jeppesen got his start making pipes in the workshop of Karl Erik, and then in the workshop of Erik Nording, before going solo. Despite graduating from his apprenticeships amidst an incredibly competitive artisan scene, Jeppesen has since become one of the most prominent and successful pipe makers in both Denmark and the world. As for how he managed to accomplish this, it is likely that the distinctive nature of his designs—even against the broader backdrop of Scandinavian pipe making—has been a significant contributing factor. Blending the staple, organic forms common to Danish pipe making, such as apples, eggs, acorns, and strawberries, with unorthodox decorative elements, such as brighter color schemes, rings, and other adornments, has ensured that Jeppesen’s pipes are rarely mistaken for those of anyone else.

With the Neerup Basic series, Peder Jeppesen strips his signature style down to its bare essentials, eschewing the ornamentation found on his other pipes in the service of something that is equal parts simple and distinctive. They’re a little like Poul Winslow’s Crown series in that regard, in that they show off what Jeppesen can do with just a block of briar and a rod of acrylic (as well as Delrin for the tenon, but that’s more practical than aesthetic).

This one comes from the higher end of the Basic series, being a grade 4, and what it lacks in finery, it more than makes up for in shaping and—especially in this instance—grain. These days, Jeppesen tends to work with deep contrast finishes, both in his smooth and sandblasted pipes, which are certainly very beautiful, though it is nice to see him working with a more natural finish. With this faceted brandy rendition, it really captures the inherent beauty of the medium as it blazes away of its own accord.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.91″ / 48.51mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g