Nording Smooth Dublin with Silver Cap and Tamper (9mm) (Unsmoked Estate)

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.

While silverware is not uncommon for Nørding pipes, they are rarely as ornate as their counterparts in the English and Italian high-grades scene. Many years ago, however, Erik created a limited series of high-end pipes for the German market that were exactly that; Danish in form, but with accoutrements that were more typical of a workshop in London, Pesaro, or indeed an early 20th century meerschaum house. The result was the pipe seen here, a Danish Dublin with a sterling silver cap and an integrated tamper, fashioned from silver, briar, and brass. These pipes were, furthermore, graded, with the lowest being “3” (for partially rusticated pipes) and the highest being “1” (for entirely smooth polished pipes with superior graining). This pipe is a grade “1,” which, at the time it was made, retailed for around €650 new.

Unlike most pipes in the series to which it belongs, however, this pipe also happens to have been hand-signed by Erik Nørding himself, in addition to the usual Nørding nomenclature. While there have been pipes made by the Nørding workshop that were signed with Erik’s name (specifically the Signature series of freehand pipes), those are inscribed with a pen, whereas this one looks like it was applied by a Dremel, or a similar tool. I’ve only seen this before on pipes that were gifted by Erik to notable individuals in the pipe world, so I do wonder if the circumstances behind this pipe were even more extraordinary than the series it belonged to.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original sleeve. As this series was made for the German market, the pipe is chambered to accommodate 9mm filters if desired, and comes with its own reducer if not. There are some nicks in the briar on the tamper, so I’ve reduced the price a little.

Details:

Length: 5.1″ / 129.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.73″ / 43.94mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g