Stanwell Queen GR 14 Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were created for the company by iconic pipe-makers in the Scandinavian scene, such as Sixten Ivarsson, Anne Julie, Jess Chonowitsch, and Tom Eltang.

While Stanwell hasn’t made explicitly “freehand” pipes for at least a decade, such pipes have been made intermittently since the 1960s. At various times, these pipes were made by Danish pipe-making icons such as Poul Hansen and Poul Winslow. The trouble with identifying Stanwell freehands, however, is that – to my knowledge – the term “freehand” has never been stamped on any of the ones Stanwell made, even though it was used in marketing materials from the 1960s onward. This particular Stanwell freehand was instead grouped under the “Chess” series, with a grading series based on chess pieces: Rook, Bishop, Queen, and King. So, this Stanwell belongs to the second-highest grade. Using MBSD’s Stanwell pipes dating guide (which can be found on our main hub), it can be determined that this pipe was made between 1995 and 1998, due to the pipe’s acrylic stem and dotted “S” logo. When I asked the writer of our guide who might have carved it, he guessed that it was probably Poul Winslow, based on the dating.

The condition is very good. Some handling marks, and a small dark spot at the bottom of the shank end. The latter is superficial and may just be a knot in the briar.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.26″ / 32.00mm

Weight: 2.6oz / 76g