Torben Dansk Gylfe Smooth Stack Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Torben Dansk is something of a sleeper in the world of Danish pipes. Originally made by Denmark’s Torben Hetler, formerly a Stanwell pipe-maker, Torben Dansk offered Danish-style pipes that were nonetheless their own. As a result, these pipes achieved a considerable amount of success, especially in Germany, where they were an established presence during the 1970s Danish pipe boom. Later, Torben Dansk pipes were made under the oversight of Lars Christensen (of Norup), and then Poul Winslow (of Winslow). Today, the Torben Dansk name is owned by the same company that distributed Hetler’s pipes back in the 1970s: Dan Pipe. In addition to Hetler, Christensen, and Winslow’s designs, Torben Dansk has also enlisted various prominent artisans to design some of its pipes, including Holger Frickert and the late Jess Chonowitsch—who, of course, also designed pipes for Stanwell.

Based on the design of this one, I’d imagine it was one of Hetler’s making. While later Torben Dansk pipes were more overtly “Danish,” Hetler’s tenure saw shapes that were closer to the early, neoclassical Danes—Sixten Ivarsson, Sven Knudsen, Poul Rasmussen, etc. After all, this Glyphe is in many senses a traditional Dublin rendition (a favorite of that cohort), with a few extra touches, such as its more supple figure, tall bowl, and pinched ebonite stem.

The condition is fair. A couple of slight burn marks on the rim and minor finish fading.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 1.91″ / 48.51mm

Weight: 1.3oz / 38g