Nording Smooth Freehand Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates [SOLD]

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.

While freehands from the Nording workshop are not difficult to find these days, this one is very different to those pipes. That’s partly because this pipe is a very early Nording, likely from the 1960s, just after Erik had dissolved the SON make and had started making pipes under his own name. Another distinguishing quality of this pipe is its remarkable shape. It is a freehand, yes, but it might be better described as a freehand Rhodesian. In fact, it is almost like a snapshot of a Rhodesian midway through emerging from the briar it’s been made from. Finally, the grain is simply excellent. It has tight, “angel hair” straight grain circling its bowl, grain that dissolves into bird’s-eye patterns at the exact point marked by the bowl’s pair of bead-lines.

The condition is great, especially for the pipe’s age. There is some darkening on the pipe’s plateau rim, but this blends will into that rugged, quintessentially Danish outgrowth.

 

Details:

Length: 6.8″ / 172.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.90 / 22.86mm

Bowl Depth: 1.84″ / 46.73mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g