Unsmoked Tsuge Ikebana by Fukuda, Golden Contrast Smooth Bent Egg Estate Briar Pipe

Description

Tsuge is Japan’s largest and most internationally renowned pipe company, having been founded in 1936 by Kyoichiro Tsuge. In the 1970s, however, Tsuge was so impressed by the pipes coming out of Denmark, that he sent two of Tsuge’s own master pipe-makers, Kazuhiro Fukuda and Smio Satou, to hone their craft under the likes of Sixten Ivarsson and Jørgen Larsen. Upon their return, the Tsuge Ikebana workshop was established so that Fukuda, Satou, and their apprentices would have the means to create high-grade Japanese pipes to rival even those being made in Europe’s pipe-making capitols. Fifty years later, it is evident that this goal was accomplished. 

It is difficult to compare Tsuge Ikebana to other makers. I suppose the closest would be Denmark’s now closed S. Bang workshop, or to the very highest-grade offerings of W.O. Larsen in its prime. It’s a similar pipe-making ‘family tree’ too, given the relationships between the icons of Danish pipe-making and the Ikebana carvers Fukuda Satou, Ohi, and Kikuchi. This particular Ikebana, carved by the workshop’s master Fukuda, displays a quite clear Danish influence, being somewhat reminiscent of Pipe Dan carver Gert Holbek’s work, along with that of Anne Julie. It is a scooping bent egg, dressed in a golden contrast stain – another Danish innovation – with a meticulously cut ebonite stem. The pipe is also a genuine featherweight, being a mere 32 grams. It will clench with ease, and ensure its owner is envied by any other pipe-smoker in a 100 mile radius.

This Ikebana also happens to be completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating applied by master Fukuda. The bowl coating is flaking a little, but this is a non-issue.

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.44″ / 36.57mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g