Peter Heeschen Smooth “P” Brandy Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Peter Heeschen was one of the great Danish pipe-makers of the late-20th and early 21st-century. Heeschen’s father was a pipe-maker who worked primarily with cherry wood, which provided an early impetus for him to experiment with making his own pipes. Heeschen did not immediately pursue a career in pipe-making, however, and instead drifted in and out of the craft between other employments as a technician and a social worker. After being made redundant at the age of 53, Heeschen finally made his permanent home in the Danish high grades scene, creating pipes on a small farm near the city of Odense, Denmark. Heeschen passed away in 2015.

Peter Heeschen was proficient in a variety of shapes and styles—of this there is no doubt—but if there was one motif that asserted itself in his work more than any other, it was the “P”. Heeschen’s “P” shapes were marked by distinctly full, plump bowls, comparatively narrow shanks with a pronounced under-travel, saddle stems that sat mid-way between Lovat and billiard length, and an ever so slight—almost imperceptible—S-curve running from button to heel. The result was, of course, pipes whose side profile evoked the initial of Heeschen’s forename, as well as the stamp he used to identify his pipes. Now, if we were to hear this description without any experience of Heeschen’s pipes, we might think it a cheap gimmick. But, with the benefit of this experience, it is quite obvious that the “P” motif does indeed make for a really nice pipe. Whether it’s a blowfish, a pot, an apple, or, like this one, a brandy, Heeschen’s idiosyncratic design philosophy worked wonderfully. On the other hand, the pipes would not be nearly as nice if they weren’t expertly crafted, as with this one’s beautiful flame grain, amberoid stem, and what appears to be a black palm accent sandwiched between two bands of Ivorite.

The condition is very good. Small spot of rim charring at the front lip of the chamber, slight tooth marks just before the button, and some small handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 5.3″ / 134.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.47″ / 37.33mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g