WO Larsen (Teddy Knudsen) Birds Eyes Pearl Grade Olifant Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

WO Larsen was a tobacconist in Copenhagen Denmark. In the 1960s, when Danish-style pipes were becoming highly sought after, thanks to revolutionary pipe-makers such as Sixten Ivarsson, a workshop was set up on the Larsen premises to produce enough high-grade Danish pipes to meet demand. This workshop was staffed by the emerging masters of Danish pipe-making, such as Sven and Teddy Knudsen, Hans ‘Former’ Nielsen, Jess Chonowitsch, Poul Ilsted, and Benni Jorgensen.

The Olifant (or Oliphant) is a shape whose origins are found near the very beginnings of Scandinavian pipe design. First conceived by Sixten Ivarsson in the late 1950s, before being further developed by Bo Nordh, its name comes from Medieval hunting horns, which were originally carved from elephant tusks. The shape that would become synonymous with Scandinavian pipes is, however, distinctively paneled, allowing for a smoother transition from bowl to stem and maximizing the appropriate space for specific grain patterns. The stummel is cut so that its sides are streaked with cross-grain patterns, while its front-facing underside and topside are aglow with bird’s-eye effusions. What the shape retains from the Medieval horn is its essential curvature. Needless to say, it is a difficult shape to produce, and an even harder one to do well. This one, made at WO Larsen’s iconic workshop, did well enough to earn it the workshop’s highest grade, the Pearl—yet instead of attaining the Pearl grade in the Straight Grain category, it is a very rare example of a Birds Eyes Pearl. While identifying the maker of a given WO Larsen pipe is typically very difficult, we were able to reach out to Teddy Knudsen regarding this one, which he confirmed to be his handiwork.

The pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. Includes WO Larsen box, leather sleeve, and papers.

This pipe came to us via our consignment program. As this is a particularly high-end pipe, the seller has stated that they are willing to consider reasonable offers.

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.78″ / 45.21mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g