Wengholt (Preben Holm) Unique 4 Smooth Freehand Egg Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the “Danish design” movement in 20th century pipe-making—a movement that still dominates the high-grade pipe scene. By hand-shaping his pipes on a belt sander, Holm was able to make the most of the patterns of grain hidden within briar, creating spectacular works of pipe art that also happened to be exceptional smokers. Holm’s work was so popular, in fact, that he not only put out pipes under numerous makes (such as Wengholt, Monte Verdi, Rungsted), but was also contracted by pipe shops and companies around the world to make pipes for them. Dunhill had Holm produce pipes for the Harcourt make, and Lane Ltd.’s Charatan had him make Ben Wade pipes, at a time when Charatan itself was already at the pinnacle of its freehand output. All of this was achieved in the span of around 25 years, before Holm’s untimely passing, and his pipes remain firm favorites among casual pipe smokers and die-hard collectors to this day.

Though he was most famous for his freehands in the Danish Fancy vein, Preben Holm and his apprentices were both highly versatile and willing to explore plenty of other styles, whether it was re-imaginings of traditional, Anglo-French briars, or forays into designs more typical of the Italian workshop scene. As such, if you can think of a shape, it’s very likely that the Preben Holm workshop made at least one of them and—in the case of this one—even those pipes we might consider as more “contemporary” often find precursors in Holm’s output. When this one landed on my desk, I thought for a brief moment that I might have a Lee Von Erck “Loon” on my hands. But no, it is instead a Wengholt, one of Preben Holm’s many sub-brands, and a highly forward-thinking one at that.

The condition is good. Some rim charring and a couple of small scratches on the bowl.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.97 / 24.63mm

Bowl Depth: 1.90″ / 48.26mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g