S Bang Kobenhavn 9 Magnum Smooth Cobra Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Originally founded in 1968 by Svend Bang, a former store manager at Denmark’s legendary W.Ø. Larsen, S. Bang would go on to become a legend in its own right, one that would rival even Larsen in fame and acclaim. While Svend himself was not a pipe-maker, he was able to enlist some of the most talented pipe-makers in Denmark to create the S. Bang pipes. In the early days, this included figures such as Ph. Vigen, but it is two makers in particular who would become synonymous with the S. Bang name: Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier. Per and Ulf joined the S. Bang workshop in the early 1970s, and in 1984, when Svend Bang himself retired, Per and Ulf formally took over S. Bang. Per and Ulf’s creations were as admired and coveted as their Danish contemporaries, such as Jess Chonowitsch, Tom Eltang, and Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen. Per and Ulf retired and dissolved S. Bang in 2019, much to the disappointment of pipe smokers and collectors across the world. 

There are few shapes as evocative of the Danish style as the cobra. It is bold, assertive, angular and, of course, impossible to replicate using traditional, 20th century factory methods. Shaping must instead be performed by hand against a sanding wheel, leaving plenty of room for error, but also plenty of room to express one’s creativity and expertise in the craft. This cobra, from Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier’s S. Bang, is an ideal representative of the latter. It incorporates a triangular motif into the cobra design, accommodating cross grain that moves up and over the pipe’s right and left flank, as well as bird’s-eye patterns that extend from the bowl’s fore right up to the underside of the shank end. Even more impressive is the size of the pipe, which would have only added further room for slips or unexpected briar imperfections – neither of which are present.

The condition is great. Very minor handling marks and very minor scratches on the inner rim.

 

Details:

Length: 7.4″ / 187.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.90 / 22.86mm

Bowl Depth: 2.17″ / 55.11mm

Weight: 3.4oz / 98g