Stanwell 2002 Pipes & Tobaccos Magazine Pipe of the Year Partially Rusticated Horn Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were created for the company by iconic pipe-makers in the Scandinavian scene, such as Sixten Ivarsson, Anne Julie, Jess Chonowitsch, and Tom Eltang.

While I do enjoy the process of examining a Stanwell pipe, its line, shape, nomenclature, etc., all in the service of figuring out when it might have been made, I will admit that date codes make things so much easier. And, in the case of this one, there’s more than just a date code. See, back when the great Pipes & Tobaccos Magazine was still going, for a number of years the publication hosted its own “Pipe of the Year.” The magazine contracted some of the greats of then and now, such as Todd Johnson, Vollmer & Nilsson, Peterson, and J.T. Cooke, to create a limited run of special pipes just for its readers. For 2002, Stanwell was chosen to make P&T‘s Pipe of the Year, and the legendary Danish company certainly rose to the occasion. Readers were given the opportunity to acquire a rendition of a relatively uncommon (and now entirely discontinued) Stanwell shape, the “145,” which had been designed by the late Jess Chonowitsch. The P&T version was, however, a little different to the standard catalog shape 145, featuring an engraved, sterling silver faux spigot mount. Readers also had the opportunity to purchase the pipe in partially rusticated finishes, like this one, which for Stanwell pipes is very rare, and most typically only found on limited edition pieces, such as the German market Pipe of the Year models released between the 1990s and 2000s. Only 250 pipes in total were made for P&T 2002 Pipe of the Year, making this a rare and welcome sight indeed.

The condition is very good. Some darkening and finish fading on the rim.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.47″ / 37.33mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g