Nording FS Partially Rusticated Freehand Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has also been a teacher of other Danish masters, such as Poul Ilsted, Svend Axel Celius, Jens Tao Nielsen, Peder Jeppesen, and Søren Erik Andersen.

The “freehand,” or, more specifically, the Danish Fancy freehand, is an interesting genre of shape, not least because of how easily it can be hybridized with other shapes. Some of these hybrids are relatively simple, like freehand Dublins and pickaxe shapes, as this just involves carving those shapes in a little more freeform fashion. Other shapes have a little more complexity to them, such as the “freehand cavalier.” This rather large sitter from Erik Nording seems to me to qualify for that label, and the result is very striking. Tall and broad, like a boot set in the ground, the pipe wears a mixed finish of smooth polished straight grain and Erik Nording’s signature, vermiculated rustication at its base, creating something of a “weathered,” almost gothic, effect.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening.

Details:

Length: 7.1″ / 180.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Weight: 2.6oz / 74g