Preben Holm Fancy Matt C5 XL Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the “Danish design” movement in 20th century pipe-making—a movement that still dominates the high-grade pipe scene. By hand-shaping his pipes on a belt sander, Holm was able to make the most of the patterns of grain hidden within briar, creating spectacular works of pipe art that also happened to be exceptional smokers. Holm’s work was so popular, in fact, that he not only put out pipes under numerous makes (such as Wengholt, Monte Verdi, Rungsted), but was also contracted by pipe shops and companies around the world to make pipes for them. Dunhill had Holm produce pipes for the Harcourt make, and Lane Ltd.’s Charatan had him make Ben Wade pipes, at a time when Charatan itself was already at the pinnacle of its freehand output. All of this was achieved in the span of around 25 years, before Holm’s untimely passing, and his pipes remain firm favorites among casual pipe smokers and die-hard collectors to this day.

One of the names originally associated with the Scandinavian freehand movement was the “Fancy,” or the “Danish Fancy.” This term was largely used to denote pipes that pipe smokers would ultimately come to call “freehands,” not unlike the Nording Freehand lines that dominate the genre today—though, it must be said, not exclusively. Additionally, the word “fancy” did not first arise from the Danish language but was a borrowing from English, particularly as a descriptor of something “modern.” Early catalogs from workshops like W.O. Larsen, for example, separated their most unconventional shapes from their regular (though still very “Danish”) shapes by referring to the former as “Fancy.” The notion of the Danish Fancy evolved over time, becoming more synonymous with the contemporary “freehand,” likely in part to the sheer force Preben Holm’s name carried in Danish pipe making.

After all, Holm himself had a whole series of pipes that went by the “Fancy” name, and each was—like most of Holm’s pipes—a “freehand” as we now understand it. This particular pipe is part of the Fancy Matt subseries, so-called because of its use of a slightly subdued, matte finish that nonetheless worked wonders with the grain underneath.

On a slight side note, this particular pipe would also appear to have been from near the end of Holm’s career. The “C5” stamp on the pipe’s underside is purported to have been used by CAO, who took over American distribution of Preben Holm’s pipes in 1985. In 1986, however, Holm’s deteriorating health resulted in him having to step away from pipe making and let go of his workshop staff. Holm never quite recovered, passing away in 1989.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. Some slight finish fading. The pipe comes with its original (slightly time-worn) box.

Details:

Length: 6.8″ / 172.7mm

Bowl Width: 1.03 / 26.16mm

Bowl Depth: 1.61″ / 40.89mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g