WO Larsen Sandblasted Canadian Estate Briar Pipe

Description

WO Larsen was a tobacconist in Copenhagen Denmark. In the 1960s, when Danish-style pipes were becoming highly sought after, thanks to revolutionary pipe-makers such as Sixten Ivarsson, a workshop was set up on the Larsen premises to produce enough high-grade Danish pipes to meet demand. This workshop was staffed by the emerging masters of Danish pipe-making, such as Sven and Teddy Knudsen, Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen, Jess Chonowitsch, Poul Ilsted, and Benni Jorgensen.

Danish pipe-making is well known for pushing boundaries. For this pipe from Denmark’s famed W.O. Larsen workshop, the main boundary being pushed is – as you might imagine – length. At seven and a half inches from bowl to button, it is one of the longest shapes of its kind that I’ve ever seen. But what is its shape? I’ve classified it as a Canadian for simplicity’s sake, but technically this isn’t quite correct. The bowl, for instance, is wider and has a stronger profile than a traditional Canadian, and is more in keeping with the Danish brandy shape that Larsen was well known for (which itself also had an oval shank). In this instance, that Danish brandy has been rendered to about the length of a Bing billiard, and has somehow also managed to remain not much heavier than the English classic.

The condition is excellent. The finish is unblemished, the stem is free from abrasions, and the nomenclature has remained crisp. Judging by that nomenclature, I would estimate that this pipe is from the 1970s, though I can’t be 100% sure, as dating Larsens is notoriously difficult.

Details:

Length: 7.5″ / 190.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.59″ / 40.38mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g