Teddy Knudsen Sandblasted Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Even among the most legendary and seminal of the Danish post-war pipe makers, whether old or new, living or passed, there are few who are as revered as Teddy Knudsen. The younger brother of one of the pioneers of Danish artisan pipe making, Sven Knudsen, Teddy followed in his brother’s footsteps around 1970, after spending time in the Danish Air Force. Originally trained as a cabinetmaker, Teddy applied his woodworking expertise to the making of pipes, with his early career spent between apprenticing with Anne Julie and collaborating with his brother, Sven, on the Dantonian Pipe Works project. A few years later, Teddy left Dantonian to focus on his solo career, though he also spent the following decades carving pipes for the iconic Danish pipe house, W.O. Larsen. In fact, Teddy was the man behind many of W.O. Larsen’s highest-grade pipes, i.e., those awarded its upper-end Straight Grain and Birds Eyes number grades, as well as those awarded the highest W.O. Larsen grade of all, the Pearl.

Since Teddy’s departure from W.O. Larsen and his move to making pipes entirely under his own name, his renown has only increased, to the point where, even if one could afford the all but unmatched prices his pipes command, finding a vendor to sell one is near-impossible. His yearly output is relatively small compared to other artisans and a significant amount of the briar he personally selects during his in-person trips to Mimmo in Italy is discarded for not being perfect enough. This is not because Mimmo briar is bad, of course—far from it, it is some of the best briar in the world—but after so many years making pipes, even the smallest cosmetic imperfection is enough for Teddy to trash the block entirely.

In the case of this pipe, it’s one of the very few sandblasted pipes Teddy makes, a slightly asymmetric Dublin in his signature, semi-freeform style. The proportions are calculated and exact, the finishing is beautifully applied, resulting in consistent, level ring grain; and despite its rather reserved dress, it is still recognizably Teddy’s work.

The pips is also completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating.

Details:

Length: 5.9″ / 149.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.34″ / 34.03mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g