Nording Grade 5 Smooth Freehand Dublin 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.

This looks to be an older Nording pipe to me. Not an early piece, but not a recent one either. Perhaps 1990s? It’s a far cry from his contemporary freehands, while still being distinctly Danish – more in the vein of the Hand Made series he makes today. If I had to guess, I’d figure grade 5 was the higher end of the scale, given the impressive flame grain and immaculate shaping. The asymmetrical stem is a nice touch in this regard, providing an enjoyable contrasting effect in the pipe’s overall form.

The condition is great. Some inner darkening and finish fading on the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.6″ / 40.64mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g