Nording Partially Rusticated Freehand 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.

This looks to be a slightly older Nording freehand pipe than his contemporary Freehand line, based both on the style, what appears to be a vulcanite (rather than acrylic) stem, and the older “N” logo stamped on it. Yet in it one can see the groundwork laid for the latter’s signature designs. Crafted from plateaux briar (of which a portion of the burl’s bare edge lays exposed at the pipe’s rim), this one’s bowl includes the fluted motifs found on a number of the recent Nording freehand lines, along with a base that’s been hewed away by a rugged, naturalistic partial rustication—not unlike the later Moss and Fantasy Freehand lines. Though Nording’s freehand pipes remain in production and eminently popular, it’s always nice to find a precursor, combining what is already a nice pipe with the status of a minor historical artefact.

The condition is good. Some wear to the inner rim and slight finish fading.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 1.06 / 26.92mm

Bowl Depth: 1.67″ / 42.41mm

Weight: 3.0oz / 86g