Preben Holm Delight Partially Sandblasted Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the ‘Danish design’ movement in 20th century pipe-making – a movement that still dominates the high-grade pipe scene. By hand-shaping his pipes on a belt sander, Holm was able to make the most of the patterns of grain hidden within briar, creating spectacular works of pipe art that looked just as good as they smoked. Owing to Holm’s untimely passing, his pipes are even more highly sought after than they were during his lifetime.

It is remarkably uncommon to come across an unsmoked Preben Holm. Something about them just begs to be filled with a bowl of one’s favorite blend. On those rare occasions when one does land on my desk, I am always very pleased—delighted, even. I’ve said before that the naming and grading conventions of most Preben Holm pipes escape me, though it does seem that the Delight was a mixed finish, lightly stained model. In any case, this one is fantastic, with an overall shaping that manages to both “chase the grain” of the briar and to create something that fits one’s hand like a glove.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. Some very light, residual stem oxidation, but nothing major.

 

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.79″ / 45.46mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g