Partially Sandblasted Rhodesian Tobacco Pipe

Though we haven't received many a Rhodesian from Hans "Former" Nielsen, this rendition is the Danish carver's signature interpretation of the form. Much of the stummel exhibits features of the Horn design — the shank travels into a gentle transition, beginning to flare into a forward-urging bowl. Nielsen interrupts this flaring progression, though, with the Rhodesian's characteristic beadline. A closer in hand look will reveal that said beadline differs from the majority of those seen in the industry. In fact, Former takes a traditionalist approach to the beadline process, a testament to his general mindset towards pipemaking as well as boasting his skill with tool making (an often overlooked aspect of artisan pipe-making).

Instead of simply carving two parallel lines into the bowl, Hans has fashioned a special, V-shaped tool that both cuts and indents simultaneously at symmetrical angles. Not only does this process hearken back to the original beadline-making method, but it also has a strong aesthetic element: The angled, "V" nature of the beadline echoes the taper of the rim and continues the implied lines thereof — one is able to imagine where the waistline would come to a point in the surrounding negative space. It's features like this that make artisan pipes such a joy, with new, intricate details making themselves known with every smoke.

Finish-wise, Nielsen has dressed the lower half in a reserved, Danish-style sandblast, with a dark, ruby-tinged stain to contrast against the rim and shank-end, which are adorned in a smooth, honey-blonde stain. The matching rim and shank-end balance the piece as a whole, both in finish and in how Hans has flared and domed the shank-end to echo the rim. In one final flourish, the saddle portion of the stem steps down gradually, mimicking the shank-end and transitioning smoothly into the trim mouthpiece. All in all — from form to finish — this is gorgeous work from Nielsen, one of the living legends in regards to craftsmanship and tooling. It's a piece fit for any and every collection.