Tom Eltang Rusticated Devil Anse Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Tom Eltang made his first pipe from a Pibe-Dan hobby kit at the age of 11. At age 16, he apprenticed under the legendary Anne Julie, before moving on to work for Pipe-Dan three years later. Three years after that, Eltang began working for Stanwell. Through these formative experiences with major Danish pipe making institutions, Eltang cultivated the skills and creativity that would see him emerge as one of the figureheads of Danish artisan pipe-making scene. In terms of influence, it is perhaps only Sixten Ivarsson who has had a comparable impact on the world of hand made pipes.

Tom Eltang has always been a trailblazer in the world of pipes; where Eltang goes, generations of other artisans (as well as a few major companies) follow. That’s not to say that other pipe makers simply imitate his work, but rather that there are various notable aspects of his design philosophy that have proved profoundly influential across the craft, and that this influence can be seen, to greater or lesser degrees, in certain currents in pipe design that have emerged in his wake. One broad aspect, for example, is his commitment to neo-functionalism, expressed through a preference traditional shapes, such as the poker, the cutty, and the Devil Anse, which he crafts with a modern eye for technical precision. A more specific aspect, on the other hand, is his fondness for deep rusticated finishes, which have, historically, been otherwise far less common in high-end artisan briars, especially in the Danish style. Pipes like this one have, as such, become signature designs in Eltang’s portfolio, combining Anglo-French staples with unorthodox finishes, in the service of creating high-grade smoking instruments that perfectly blend the unique with the familiar.

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

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.57″ / 39.87mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g