Stanwell Bishop Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were created for the company by iconic pipe-makers in the Scandinavian scene, such as Sixten Ivarsson, Anne Julie, Jess Chonowitsch, and Tom Eltang.

Like most great Danish pipe-makers, Stanwell has, at points in its history, sold what we now call “freehand” pipes in the Danish fancy style. Though production has always been more limited than Stanwell’s standard shapes, these pipes were first carved in-house in the 1960s by Poul Hansen. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Stanwell contracted Danish master Poul Winslow to make them in his workshop, as well as at promotional events. This pipe comes from the latter production, which took the form of the “Chess” series. If you’re familiar with Poul Winslow’s work—especially his Crown pipes—you may well recognize his style in this one, as I’m certain I do. Winslow, of course, was Preben Holm’s protege, so any freehand carved by him is going to be a good one.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening and a few handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.95 / 24.13mm

Bowl Depth: 1.19″ / 30.22mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g