Preben Holm Handcut XL Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

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.

Based on the stamping, this looks to be a rather early Preben Holm pipe—not quite as early as his Pibe Dan days, but still relatively early in his career. Yet it is also quite fascinating as far as design goes, and oddly enough appears to prefigure approaches to shaping not associated with Holm’s home turf of the Danish Fancy freehand. To be sure, it shares much of the rugged, naturalistic approach to form that defined the Danish Fancy, but the inclusion of a “finned” shank end strikes as not unlike later, freeform Japanese pipes such as those of Gotoh, or Tokutomi. Preben Holm always did seem to be ahead of the curve, though this one was still quite surprising.

The condition is fair. Some handling marks and nicks around the bowl.

Details:

Length: 7.5″ / 190.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm

Bowl Depth: 1.76″ / 44.70mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 66g