danish

TAO Straight Grain Dublin #9679

Here's a man, and a pipe, with very distinct style. There is no
mistaking his pipes for any other, and I don't believe anyone
has had the temerity to copy his style. I haven't seen him at
any shows lately, and so I don't know if he's still producing
pipes. As you can see in the photo above, there is fine straight
grain on both sides of the bowl and Bird's Eye coming up from
the bottom to the front of the bowl and on that wide rim. The
stem treatment is classic TAO, and very handsome.

6" long, bowl 1 5/8" high: Weight; 2.38 oz., 67.5 grams. New.
Price. $750

Balleby Curved Dublin, grade 0. #PBA49 (SOLD 5/25/08)

Obviously, at this grade, there is 360 degrees of straight grain,
tight. As good as the overall workmanship is, my favorite part
of this pipe is the wide, rolling, curved bird’s eye loaded bowl
rim. The pipe also sports a bowling ball stem. A thing of
beauty is a joy forever. Yup.

Stats: 5 ½” long, bowl 2” high: Weight; 1.96 oz. 55.7 grams.
New. $1,080

Balleby Curved Dublin, grade 5. #PBA47

This has straight grain all around the bowl, and perhaps the
only thing keeping it from being graded higher is the presence
of some very small sand pits in the wood. I can see them (or
imagine I can) because I am at this moment wearing one of
those jeweler headbands with magnifying glasses that could
give me a headache if I don’t watch out. Again, this pipe
consists of all the factors that go into making a great Balleby.

Stats: 5” long, bowl 1 7/8” high: Weight; 1.58 oz. 44.9 grams.
New. $640

Pulvers' Prior Briar
P.O. Box 61146
Palo Alto, CA 94306

Phone/Fax:
(650) 965-7403
Email:
mpulvers@aol.com

Pipe
Categories:

Bjarne Nielsen Signature Grade A #8333

Solid straight grain with no falling off front or back. The pipe is
bigger than average, and like the straight grain, it is as solid a
pipe as it appears on this screen. About the only flaw I can see
is my failure to polish the sterling silver band. I'll also shine up
the stem a little for you. This pipe retails for $550, but we're
already overloaded with photos and too little room, so I'm
presenting it at a great price. If you're smart and know the
quality of everything Bjarne does, give this your consideration.

5 3/4" long, bowl 2 1/8" high: Weight; 2.20 oz., 62.6 grams. New
Price. $375

Celius "Straight Grain" King #9539

If I were Michaelangelo or Brunelleschi, I would have known to
draw the one inch squares so that they projected an accurate
scale vis a vis the pipes, which don't look as they would if they
were lying down. But then, if I were either of those two fellows, I
would be dead, and if I had anything remotely close to their
intellects, I'd be in another line of work...like forgery. The pipes
are photographed on a grid of 1square " per box, to give you
some frame of reference. I'm also continuing to provide the
critical stats. You Celius lovers know about this pipe, so there's
no need for a lot of blather. This is a thin and delicate (not
fragile) pipe.

5 3/4" long, bowl 2 1/4" high: Weight; 1.46 oz., 41.5 grms. Used
Price. $125

Vollmer & Nilsson Straight Grain Prince #9547

I know a good Prince when I see one. Not because I am one, but
because I own over a dozen of them. I like the shape a lot. This is
a good Prince. Why don't I own it? Because I'm trying to be a
good retailer and not keep everything I want.

5 15/16" long, bowl 1 1/4" high: Weight; 1.1 oz., 31.2 grams. New
Price. $375.

Tom Eltang Dublin Snail #9590

Shape, construction, quality grain, light weight. Everything you
would expect in a Tom Eltang snail. I'm even providing a good
price.

5 1/2" long, bowl 1 7/8" high: Weight; 1.57 oz., 44.6 grams. New.
Price. $1400

Teddy Eagle Calabash-Amity #9700

This is a stunning pipe, even more dramatic in person than in
the photos above. That long, tight straight grain runs all
around the bowl. I'm calling it partly a Calabash because of the
cap, obviously, but it is not a cup and can not be removed.
Please, do not drink a 1/2 bottle of Scotch and then decide to
look into the tobacco chamber by removing the top. When you
look at how the line transitions from shank to bowl, Teddy's
reputation becomes obvious. It's a silly question, and there is
nothing close to an answer, but who is the top pipe maker in
the world today? Lars Ivarsson? Teddy Knudsen? In which
order? Fun to think about, anyway.

6 3/8" long, bowl 2 1/2" high: Weight; 2.33 oz., 66.1 grams. New
Price. $2350

Larsen Pearl Volcano #9695 (SOLD 7/10/08)

Obviously, this pipe would stand tall and proud on its own, as a
venerated Larsen Peral and because of it's intrinsic beauty and
grain quality. But, I'm almost 100% positive there is one other
factor to recommend it...it was made by Teddy. Who else could
have been responsible for this pipe? Call it a guess, but it's a
very educated guess.

6 1/2" long, bowl 2 1/2" high: Weight; 3.1 oz., 88.1 grams. New.
Price. $1675

Bjarne Nielsen Signature D Grade #6229943

My energy or creative juices can't always flow when writing
about pipes. Tonight is one of those 'weak' times, which is or
isn't too bad. Who knows. But I can say that if you think this
pipe is pedestrian looking, you'd be wrong. This pipe has that
certain patina that suggests a great smoker to me. Just what
do I mean? Search me. It's a feeling I have. I see it
infrequently. I remember that patina on a Former Bulldog. It
sat and sat in my shop, and nothing I said could get it sold.
(The Former did eventually sell, and I have no idea how it
smoked; the owner did not get back to me, which is so typical of
this specie, isn't it?) Patina or no, this pipe has a lot of straight
grain, is small, but with a reasonably sized bowl and a brindle
stem. It is graded, and it should be $300. New. Price: $240

5 1/8" long, bowl 1 5/8" high. Weight: 1.3 oz., 37.1 grams

Tao Billiard #6220014

A great example of how the Tao pipe is unique. It does have a
little ding on the bowl, which I should be able to steam out. New.

5" long, bowl 1 7/8" high. Weight: 2.25 oz. 63.8 grams. $495

Balleby Bulldog #6220010

There are some features about this pipe that make it a bit
different than the average Bulldog. You can look at the photo
and get the same sense, but I can be a bit more specific for
you.For one, the shank is oval, rather than diamond shaped,
the stem is pinched, right below the saddle, and there is also a
fish-tail aspect to the stem. All of these variations combine to
create a slightly different animal. On a personal level (as if you
should care) I like the absence of a bowl coating. Let others
inveigh against politicians or polluted water; I'll climb the soap
box to declaim coated bowls. It's extra work and expense for
the pipe maker (and thus, ultimately, us) and it taints the taste.
Frankly, the only reason pipe makers coat bowls, as far as I
can discern, is that they're chicken. They're afraid that you,
the pipe smoker, don't know how to break in and smoke a pipe.
Bullcrap. It's the rare smoker that spends multi-hundreds on a
pipe that doesn't know what they're doing. I wish more pipe
smokers would do the right thing and leave good wood alone.

5 1/2" long, bowl 1 3/4" high. Weight: 1.89 oz. 53.8 grams. New
Price: $395

Bjarne Rustic #726344 (SOLD 7/2/08)

If you're one of those who just love to rub your hands over the
pipe bowl and appreciate the wonderful texture of a good
sandblast or rusticated pipe, please give this pipe your serious
consideration. The briar has just the right amount of sharp
edges...not too sharp to hurt, but enough so that you will derive
great satisfaction when your constant smoking and fondling
create a softer finish. For some reason, despite an obvious
hand rusticated finish, this pipe was not graded a signature
piece. Normally, Bjarne likes to consult me on each piece
before he prices it, but he didn't on this, so instead of $150 or
so, it's going to be posted here for a lot less than that. New.
Price. $85

4 7/8" long, bowl 1 7/8" high. Weight: 1 3/8 oz., 42 grams.

Bjarne Nielsen Panel Grade D #980711

I'm a sucker for panels, but they are very difficult to make well
and there are relatively few of them on the market at any one
time. I saw Phil Vigen, one of Bjarne's top pipe makers, make a
panel once, and I was dumbfounded at his manual dexterity
and who quickly and accurately he had to work the briar on the
disc sander so as to get each side perfectly symmetrical, both
on the flat surface and for the thickness of each wall. Maybe
that's why there are so few panels, and take note at how few
panels you see from the new pipe makers and their fancy,
freehand shapes. I don't think most of them can make this
shape without killing lots of briar blocks. I love the Prince
shape, and years ago I saw 2 Dunhill shell Panel Princes for
sale, and because of their expense, I didn't buy them. I think of
those pipes to this day. For me, they are the pipes that got
away. This one is a signature piece, with a Brindle stem. It has
lots of straight grain, and, of course, it sits up. New. Price:$395

6.25" long, bowl 1 7/8" high. Weight: 1.75 oz., 52 grams.

Bjarne Nielsen Panel Grade C #98717

Another beautiful Panel from the Bjarne Nielsen signature
collection, which means it has a hand cut stem, in this case
from Brindle colored vulcanite, and was made by one of the
carvers that make Bjarne's top end pipes. One negative
aspect of this pipe is that it doesn't sit on the flat bottom, but
rather needs to lean back onto the stem to remain upright. Not
a big issue, but it's my contention that a flat bowl bottom should
designate a pipe that sits up on that bottom. New. Price:$445

5.5" long, bowl 2 1/8" high. Weight: 1.75 oz., 52 grams.

Bjarne Giant #98697

Pretty much a Bjarne trademark pipe. Very few pipe makers
have blocks of briar this size...Bjarne employs blocks like this
regularly. He may be the only one. Alberto Bonfiglioli makes
large pipes, but not, usually, this large. I chose this piece
because of its combination of size and grain pattern. What you
can't see from the photo is the flat bottom, enabling this pipe to
sit up and have notice taken of it. The inside bowl diameter is
an inch and 1/16. The depth of that chamber is an inch and
almost 15/16. I'd suggest avoiding heavy Perique mixtures.

6: long, bowl 2.5" high. Weight: 4 5/8 oz., 134 grams. New.$195

Former Dublin #98701

The grain pattern on this pipe is ok...nothing spectacular. If
that is how you judge a pipe, this is not for you. This pipe is
also not for dilettantes. It is not glitzy or eye catching, except to
the cognescenti, the true connoisseur. I bought this pipe for
two reasons: one is that it's such a flat-out gorgeous, delicate
but solid example of a Dublin...perhaps the Platonic Dublin; two,
Former has a devoted following that understands what a great,
quiet but appreciated pipe maker he is, so I was confident that
this pipe would sell, because let's face it, at over $800, there
aren't a lot of people interested in a Dublin. Fortunately, the
Former devotees know exactly what I'm talking about when I
extol his skills. I don't have to worry about the hard work of
convincing others. Should no one be interested, my escape
strategy is, as you might have already guessed, keeping and
smoking this pipe myself. That's not why I'm in business, but it
wouldn't be a hardship, at all. New. Price: $865

5 9/16" long, bowl 1 7/8" high. Weight: 1 oz., 30 grams.

Preben Holm Private Collection D 10271048

A high end Preben Holm with excellent grain all around and in
excellent condition. Used. Price: $210

7 3/8" long, bowl 2 1/8" high. Weight: 2.5 oz., 71 grams.

Lasse Skovgaard Volcano #12151340

As handsome as this pipe appears here, it is even more
attractive in person. Lasse Skovgaard came on the scene in
the U.S. about 2 Chicagoland shows ago, and when I saw his
work, I asked him about obtaining some of his pipes for my then
store. He told me to "f... off." Well, he didn't put it exactly that
way. In fact, he's a very polite, even sweet young man, but he
did align himself with one e-tailer and I wasn't able to procure
any of his pipes at that time. Recently, the exclusive contract
with that seller expired and Lasse made some of his pipes
available to me, and I bought 4 of what I considered the best,
and best priced, pieces. New. $395
5 3/4" long, bowl 1.95" high. Weight: 2 1/4 oz., 62 grams.

Lasse Skovgaard Sandblast with Plateau Rim #12151345

Somewhat like the old freehand shapes, but with a refined
touch that few of the 1970s pieces had. Actually, this pipe is
fairly small, with a lot of wall thickness and a small bowl. Not
only is the ring grain superb, the construction, including the
draw and the comfort of the stem are equally good. A lot of fine
production value in such a reasonably priced pipe. New. $225
5.07" long, bowl 1.95" high. Weight: 1 3/8 oz., 39 grams.

Lasse Skovgaard Bamboo Sandblast #12151346

Most bamboo shanks are afterthoughts, which is to say, the
pipe maker finds his shank is truncated, so he adds bamboo,
more as a shank extension than anything else. This piece is
too well proportioned for that to have been the approach. New.
$295. 6" long, bowl 1.75" high. Weight: 1.25 oz., 37 grams.

Lasse Skovgaard #12151348

Medium-small, well constructed with an open draw and nice, flat
very comfortable stem. Hard (impossible?) to beat for the
money. New. Price: $225
5.5" long, bowl 1.5" high: Weight: 1.5 oz., 44 grams.

Bjarne Golden Contrast #12151401

Along with the shape of the bowl, I was especially attracted to
the work done on the shank, both the thick part and the part
near the stem. A lot of good detail work here for another
exceptionally well priced Bjarne pipe. New. $88.50
5.9" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 2 1/8 oz., 63 grams.

Bjarne Hexagonal Panel #12151405

the Panel is one of the great classic shapes; they never fail to
attract my wandering eye. With Bjarne, you get handmade
pipes like this at machine cut prices. New. $88.50
5.2" long, bowl 2.06" high. Weight 2 oz., 57 grams.

Bjarne Golden Contrast Billiard #12151406

This is more of a cross between a Billiard and a Brandy. It
could have been called a B&B. It's a medium sized pipe with a
large capacity bowl. Knowing how difficult it is to sell a pipe, it
occurs to me that buying simple, common shapes like a Billiard
probably doesn't make great business sense. People seem to
always want something new and dramatic. Yet, a pipe man can
not help himself from buying and offering a good Billiard,
because they almost assuredly are the most consistently good
smokers, all other factors being the same, which, of course,
they never are. As I wrote those words I realized that I am, at
this moment, smoking a Billiard. New. Price: $88.50
6.17" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 1 1/2 oz., 44 grams

Bjarne Golden Contrast #12151409

I'm tempted to call this a Prince, although the proportions are
off for that shape, nor is it pretending to be one. It's just that I
don't know what else to call it. Really, it's nothing more than
just another example of Bjarne delivering a very good price at a
price lower than anyone else could. New. Price: $88.50
5.7" long, bowl 1.7" high. Weight: 1 7/8 oz., 52 grams.

Tao #12151364

I've been able to open up the draw on this interesting shaped
pipe. If not perfect, the draw is now quite respectable. What
you can not see is that the stem is brindle, as is the extension
past the amber, making for a handsome color combo. New.
5.8" long, bowl 1.68" high. Weight: 3 oz., 84 grams. Price: $425

Bjarne Virgin Churchwarden #12151449

Well of course, Bjarne has done it again. A large bowled
Churchwarden, with good flame grain (the other side of the
bowl has the much nicer grain, so there's no need to show it)
and an open draw, which one needs on such a long shank. The
good curve makes it comfortable to hold and smoke.
10.25" long, bowl 2.4" high. Weight: 1.75 oz., 52 grams.
New. Price: $95

Tonni Nielsen #12151512

When you're dealing with a pipe made by Tonni Nielsen you
have to pay extra attention in order to determine whether the
particular pipe you're looking at is an example of his genius or
indifference. So, what about this pipe? I'm not sure. At first, I
leaned a bit toward his indifference, although it's certainly not a
bad pipe (the value of genius is that even by accident,
something wonderful can result) but somehow it looked a bit
'off.' On further scrutiny, I'm now leaning toward this pipe being
an example of his genius. Why? I can point to components,
like the Calabash bowl with an oval shank and a very well made
hand cut vulcanite stem that actually goes a long way toward
making a pipe this large something you would hold in your
mouth. I tell you folks, there needs to be a first rate arts and
crafts museum, preferably in Denmark, that showcases the very
best of the Danish inspired pipe makers. New. Price: $450
6.1" long, bowl 2.39" high. Weight: 2 oz., 56 grams

Tonni Nielsen #12151514

I've never asked Tonni, but I have a feeling that his favorite
kind of music is jazz. I see this pipe as a kind of riff on pipe
making, and just like a lot of jazz, it's not meant to be all that
serious, but when everything that has gone into it is weighed,
why, it can't be dismissed as simply frivolous. Take that edge
of plateau in the bottom of the top photo. It starts off fairly
large towards the top of the bowl and comes down (you can't
see it) to a mere whiff of plateau. In looking at maybe tens of
thousands of pipes in over 45 yrs., I don't believe I've seen that
done even once...at least not on purpose the way I know Tonni
did. I'd even call it 'organic' if that phrase meant anything. At
this point, calling something an organic shape should do
nothing but elicit cynical laughter. If you want an organic shape
in a pipe, take the briar burl and drill two holes in it...one as the
bowl and the other in which to insert the stem. Pretty, huh?
6" long, bowl 2" high. Weight:2.25oz., 64 grams. New. $450

Tonni Nielsen #12151520

You see the Bird's Eye here, but not the cross grain. Of course
it is there. The bigger question is, why do I use capital letters
for the Bird's Eye and lower case for the cross grain? The
stem touch here is what's most noteworthy. It's another
example of Tonni's creativeness. Yes, and I might have hit on
something here (more likely it's simple coincidence and once
again I'm nothing but blather). This pipe is stamped
"Handcrafted in Kentucky" whereas the two Tonni pipes shown
above this, if they haven't sold, are stamped as having been
made in Denmark...or at least they're called Danish. Does
Tonni get a lot of his creative inspiration when he is summering
in Denmark, his boyhood home, and palling around with his
good friend, Teddy Knudsen? It would certainly make sense.
5.8" long, bowl 2.25" high. Weight: 2.5 oz., 70 grams. New. $425

Tonni Nielsen #12151506

What that Nielsen kid has achieved here is a fairly large bowled
pipe, and that is not light, but has such a shape that it hangs
down close to the chin and thus can be easily and comfortably
held in the mouth. As you can see, the grain ain't bad either.
For what it's worth, it was Handcrafted in Kentucky. New. $625
5.1" long, bowl 2.15" high. Weight: 2 3/8 oz., 66 grams.

Kai Nielsen #12151518 (SOLD 6/30/08)

This is a solid, thick walled straight grain with a good draw. It's
a medium sized pipe, but with the thickness of the walls, the
bowl is not large. It has a bowling ball stem for a complement.
5.6" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 2 1/8 oz., 61 grams.
New. Price: $245

Kai Nielsen #12151524

Good cross grain with an open draw and a non-coated bowl
interior. The light grain would reveal any surface flaws, were
there any, so despite the relatively low price, this is a high
grade Danish pipe. New. Price: $245
5" long, bowl 1.8" high. Weight: 1.5 oz., 44 grams.

Kai Nielsen #12151510

As pretty as this pipe is, it must be mentioned that it may be a
bit small for many of you, although I am finding that small pipes
are quite popular, no doubt because of the limited amount of
time available for smoking. It's certainly not tiny and the sort of
Cognac shaped bowl should provide good tobacco capacity.
The stem is a brindle. One little negative a spect is the visibility
of two sand pits facing the smoker, and thus not visible in the
photos which just show the sides of the bowl. These are not
fills and just look like a dark spot unless a magnifying glass is
taken to them, but you should be informed, and now you are.
4.9" long, bowl 1.78" high. Weight: 1 5/8 oz., 46 grams. $310

Kai Nielsen Pot #12151516

Fairly thick walled, not too large and not as wide as some of the
classic, old English Pots. But still more a Pot than a Billiard. It
has pretty good cross grain and a bowling ball stem. New. $245
5.5" long, bowl 1.6" high. Weight: 1 3/8 oz., 40 grams.

Kai Nielsen Pot #12151522 (SOLD 7/7/08)

A much larger Pot than that pictured above (if it's still there) this
also has straight grain all around, and the omnipresent brindle
stem. Quite thick walled. I don't recall seeing any thin walled
Pot shaped pipes. New. Price: $295.
5.9" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 2.5 oz., 71 grams

Kai Nielsen #12151508

A graceful pipe from Kai, and as soon as I open up the air hole
in the tenon a bit more, it should draw well and smoke like the
high grade pipe that it is. This, too, has the brindle stem.
5.9" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 1 5/8 oz., 47 grams.
New. Price: $275

Bjarne Churchwarden #12151447