Bentley Former’s Design Smooth Lumberman Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

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.

One of the things I like about the Bentley pipes designed by Former is that you can find – if you look hard enough – examples of the Former pipes, made under his own name, that ultimately became Bentley shapes. This lumberman-pot hybrid is a design Former has returned to a number of times throughout his career, marked by a longer than average saddle stem and broad bowl. Interestingly, this Bentley-Former pipe was made in Denmark, meaning it must have been produced after 1997, when Former and his wife left Switzerland (where the Bentley factory was originally situated) and moved back to Denmark.

The condition is great. Some finish fading on the rim and minor residual oxidation.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.62″ / 41.14mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 45g