Bentley Former’s Design Smooth Apple Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked, 9mm

Description

If you’re familiar with high-grade pipes – especially those from Denmark – you’ll likely have at least heard of Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen. Former began his career, aged 15, repairing pipes for Poul Rasmussen at Suhr’s Pibemageri. Later, Former was referred to the W.O. Larsen workshop by Rasmussen, where – after an examination by Sven Knudsen, who had designed many early Larsen models – he was recruited as a fully-fledged pipe-maker. Within his 10 years at Larsen, Former rose to the rank of workshop supervisor, having his own apprentices of the likes of Teddy Knudsen and Tonni Nielsen. In the years since, Former’s primary output has been in pipes under his own name, but there have been a few notable exceptions, such as the Bentley make. From the mid-1980s to some time in the 2000s, Former developed high-grade pipes that were manufactured, with various teams and at various locations, under the Bentley make.

This particular Bentley is an example of a modern classic in Danish pipe-making: the bent apple. Though apple shapes have been carved for well over a century, the Danish masters – Former included – had their ways of giving new life to traditional designs. Hence, this apple is a little more “plump” than one from England or France, and has an overall more gentle curvature that flows from its button to its base. The claret stain is somewhat uncommon for Danish pipes, but it does a good job of highlighting the flame grain within the briar.

This Bentley is completely unsmoked, and may well be the first unsmoked one I’ve ever handled for myself. It is chambered for 9mm filters as standard, but would likely accommodate a filter of some kind if unfiltered use is preferred.

 

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.32″ / 33.52mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g