Early Nording (Danmark) A Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Nørding was founded by Erik Nørding in the 1960s, and is one of the oldest remaining companies to come out of the Scandinavian pipe-making renaissance that began in the mid-20th century. Now in his 80s, Erik Nørding is one of the most experienced and skilled pipe-makers in the world, and over the decades he has also been a teacher of other Danish masters, such as Poul Ilsted, Svend Axel Celius, Jens Tao Nielsen, Peder Jeppesen, and Søren Erik Andersen.

As evinced by the “Danmark” stamp, this looks to be a very early Nording, one from the first years of Erik’s production after dissolving the SON (Skovbo og Nording) make. As far as I recall, that would make this a late-1960s pipe, so it’s a great piece of history, from the beginnings of the soon-to-be meteoric rise of the Danish “freehand,” or “fancy,” style in pipe-making. It is also an exemplary work within that style, with gorgeous, consistent straight grain patterns around its bowl, and plateau bursting forth from its rim and shank end.

The condition is good for the pipe’s age. There’s definitely some rim darkening, and a small nick in the front of the bowl exterior, though it’s entirely superficial.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.95″ / 49.53mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g