Vauen Kanu 2 Smooth Hawkbill Opera Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked, 9mm

Description

Vauen stems from Germany’s oldest tobacco pipe manufacturing company, tracing its roots back to the founding partnership of Karl Ellenberger and Carl August Ziener in Nuremberg, 1848. Out of the Ellenberger-Ziener partnership soon came the Vauen make itself, which grew to become Germany’s largest and most enduring pipe brand – a title that it continues to hold to this day.   

It is not uncommon for pipe companies to commission individuals outside of the company to create designs for them. Stanwell is likely the most famous example, but Chacom, Brebbia, and, more recently, GH Zhang, have all sought outside assistance in coming up with distinctive shapes and lines. Vauen is another company that has commissioned pipe designs from outside pipe makers, but it is also rather unique in that it has also commissioned numerous designs from other artistic and industrial fields. The Kanu is one such example, and is one of several pipes created for Vauen by Michael Damm. Taking its name from the distinctly long boat, it’s designed to be both visually striking and comfortable in the hand, with this number 2 finish pairing black matte with a copper accent. It is truly unique, with the only remotely close parallel that comes to mind being the old Stanwell shape 20 (for the sake of the algorithm, I’ve taken to calling it a “hawkbill opera,” despite its conical chamber). Vauen’s “Design Pipes” tend to be limited release and marketed at collectors and, as such, I’m fairly certain it has not been in production for around a decade.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It is chambered to allow for the use of 9mm filters if desired.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.22″ / 30.98mm

Weight: 2.9oz / 84g