Nording Freehand Duck Head Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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.

Wildlife is a prominent theme in Erik Nording’s work, perhaps more so than any modern carver of briar pipes. This theme is most prominently expressed in Erik’s annual “Hunting Pipes” series, but these are far from the only Nording pipes which express strong ties to the animal kingdom. This particular Nording goes even further than most, however, being a figural rendition of the head of a waterfowl, in a manner more reminiscent of early French briar pipes than those of Denmark. But, unlike most of those pipes, this one has been carved, as Danish high-grades typically are, in a way that maximizes the visibility of the briar’s natural grain patterns. The bowl’s sides are draped in vertical straight grain, while bird’s-eyes (no pun intended) pool on its underside. Oddly enough, this allows the design to even more faithfully represent its subject – but I have to imagine that was Erik’s intention all along.

This Nording is completely unsmoked. I think I could count the number of these pipes I’ve seen on one hand, with this being the first I’ve had a chance to see up close, so that’s really something. On a side note, this pipe is on the smaller side. It is perfectly functional as a smoking pipe, just as it should be, but it is more of a nosewarmer in proportions.

 

Details:

Length: 3.8″ / 96.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.64 / 16.25mm

Bowl Depth: 1.16″ / 29.46mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g