Preben Holm Regal Smooth Freehand Volcano (Estate)

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. Even Herman Lane, owner of Lane Ltd. and Charatan during the 1960s and 1970s, was so impressed by Holm that he contracted the Danish artisan to carve pipes under his newly-acquired Ben Wade make, despite simultaneously stewarding the meteoric rise of English-made freehand pipes through Charatan). Today, Holm’s pipes remain highly sought-after, perhaps even more so than when he was still alive, to the extent that even the historic—and, originally, very English—Ben Wade name is difficult to separate from Holm’s work.

Preben Holm’s output was divided into so many different lines and series that the reasons behind their individual names are often quite difficult to decipher. As such, I’m not sure what place the Regal had in Holm’s overall schema, but I do know that I have yet to hold one that doesn’t live up to its name. In the case of this one, there are affinities with the Hallmark series, as the bowl has been carved “upside down,” so to speak, putting dashes of its live plateau edge at the pipe’s base rather than its rim, and allowing its straight grain patterns to flare toward the bottom, rather than the top. Such an approach suits the volcanic design of the pipe perfectly in that regard, with the contours of the briar’s grain mirroring those of the bowl’s form.

The condition is very good. Minor inner rim darkening and slight stem oxidation.

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.66″ / 42.16mm

Weight: 3.0oz / 86g