Kai Nielsen Flame Grain Panel Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates, 9mm

Description

To appreciate who Kai Nielsen is, we must go all the way back to the very beginnings of modern Danish pipes. Around 1950, a man named Viggo Nielsen founded Bari Piber in Kolding, Denmark. Viggo was an extremely talented pipe-maker, and his Bari Piber grew to become one of the most renowned makes in the modern Danish mold. Bari employed a number of pipe-makers who would later achieve recognition as masters of the high-grade scene, such as Age Bogelund and Viggo’s two sons, Kai Nielsen and Jorgen Nielsen. Bari Piber was sold in 1975, but Viggo, Kai, and Jorgen continued to craft handmade pipes together, under the Faaborg name. After Viggo passed, Kai finally went solo, with his place in the pantheon of Danish masters already long established.

Nielsen was not kidding when he graded this as a Flame Grain. But it’s not as though he didn’t earn it, either. While there are many interesting things about the pipe’s design, it’s the bowl that most captures my attention. One thing to bear in mind about briar and briar patterns is that the root itself grows in round clumps, and that, as a consequence, if you cut one in half, you’ll find that the grain lines will fan out as they move from the core to the periphery. This is why the axe is such a common shape for freehand carvers, as it’s a relatively simple way to achieve a harmony between the form imposed and the natural properties of the medium. With this pipe, Nielsen has followed a similar principle, employing trapezoidal side panels that fan out in the same manner as the briar’s lateral striations.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and a few handling marks. The pipe is chambered for 9mm filters as standard but should accommodate an adapter of some variety if its next owner prefers unfiltered smoking.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.53″ / 38.86mm

Weight: 2.4oz / 70g