Poul Winslow Grade C Smooth Brandy Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

As is often the case with the greats of Danish pipe-making, the story of Poul Winsløw begins as one of a master and an apprentice. That master was none other than Preben Holm; the apprentice was a young Winsløw. Holm held Winsløw in especial regard, with the latter ending up as the former’s head assistant in the Preben Holm workshop. After Holm’s untimely passing, Winsløw went solo, and after surviving the slump in the Danish pipes market in the 1980s and early 1990s, he emerged as one of Denmark’s – and the world’s – premier freehand pipe-makers.

I used to wonder what might have happened to Preben Holm, had he not tragically died so young. Would he have continued to make his Danish fancy-style freehands, or would he have adapted to a world where such pipes were increasingly available, to the point where he would have needed to take his brand to a new level. But then I realized that there was a Holm after Holm, who had taken his talents in free-form shaping to even greater heights. That person was Holm’s protege, Poul Winslow. This particular Winslow belongs to his high-grade series, and sits at a very respectable C grade. It’s a plump, brandy sitter design with excellent straight grain, an acrylic ferrule and faux spigot mount, as well as a stem accent that looks to be brass, but may well be rolled gold. Winslow does have a penchant for such finery in his designs.

The condition is fair. Rim darkening and minor handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.57″ / 39.87mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g