Preben Holm Hand Cut C XL Smooth Pot 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.

While Preben Holm is best known for his extravagant, “Danish Fancy” freehand pipes, his talents did not stop there. Looking at his extensive portfolio—especially for someone with such a short career—one finds him putting out straight grain Danish brandy renditions on par with Former or S. Bang, stout, rusticated billiards that could compete with the Italian high-grade workshops, and even a fair few “classic” shapes from the Anglo-French tradition. The latter were often grouped into the “Traditional” subseries, some of which even made it into the Private Collection series, though it is possible that the former was a later addition, as there do exist traditionally inclined pipes made by Holm without being designated as such. This one, for example, is for the most part a very traditional pot shape, whose bowl alone could pass for something put out by Charatan, or GBD. But it does have a slight “Scandinavian” edge to it, transitioning, as it does, from the bowl, to an oval shank and a more subtly flared saddle mouthpiece. One might call it “neoclassical,” in the vein of early Scandinavian artisans such as Sixten Ivarsson, Poul Rasmussen, or Emil Chonowitsch, thereby checking off yet another box in the long list of “things that Preben Holm could do.”

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. A few nicks around the bowl, though superficial.

Details:

Length: 7.4″ / 187.9mm

Bowl Width: 1.00 / 25.4mm

Bowl Depth: 1.65″ / 41.91mm

Weight: 3.3oz / 94g