Preben Holm Hallmark H4 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 looked just as good as they smoked. Owing to Holm’s untimely passing, his pipes are even more highly sought after than they were during his lifetime.

Though he always made freehands, Preben Holm made many different kinds of freehand pipes. Some were very rugged and rustic, while others, such as his Traditional or Designer series, were a little more subdued, and softer in form. Some pipes from Holm’s workshop were graded, while others were not. Grading seems to have been a practice reserved for the higher-end pipes produced there, such as the Nobel Prize, the Private Collection, and indeed the Hallmark pipe series, seen here. On each of the three series mentioned, grading was done with a system of ascending numbers (or, in the earlier pipes, sequential letters); 2000, 4000, 6000, etc., for Nobel Prize pipes; 101, 202, 404, etc., for Private Collection pipes; and H-1, H-2, H-3, etc., for Hallmark pipes. Here’s the thing: I have never seen, or heard of, a Hallmark H-5 grade. I’m therefore inclined to think that H-4 was the highest grade for the Hallmark pipes (if I’m wrong about this and you can point me to a higher-grade one, please let me know). And that would be reasonable to me, as I struggle to think how one would surpass a freehand like this one. It’s almost insane; the grain is so tight, the shaping is so fluid, and the form taken is so unique. ‘Pipe art’ is a term that used to be thrown around – sometimes a little over-enthusiastically – but this really is pipe art.

It also happens that this Hallmark is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. The pipe comes with its original box, as well as the pamphlet originally included with the pipe, advertising other Preben Holm pipes.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 1.08 / 27.43mm

Bowl Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Weight: 5.0oz / 144g