Smooth Crossgrain (0125) Tobacco Pipe

Nanna Ivarsson is a third-generation master pipe maker whose work is renowned worldwide for its phenomenal smoking qualities and singular interpretation of the Danish style, informed by the stylistic advancements of her father and grandfather and focused through an aesthetic lens entirely her own. Many of Nanna's pipes feature strikingly robust shaping, with thick builds and hearty bowls often showcased within her portfolio. The Crossgrain is an extremely seldom-seen shape as rendered by Ivarsson, especially compared to her more oft-encountered Blowfish variations, with both designs comprising a range of expressive and varied styles. This particular piece is only the second Crossgrain we've received from Nanna, and it aligns with the form's original archetype, revealing a symmetrical, cylindrical aspect.

Though the shank has been pruned from this pipe, the briar's midsection acts as an apt mounting point for the stem, with an inlaid ring of brass creating a sturdy push mount for a sleek saddle stem of black vulcanite. This stem creates a bit of an aerodynamic look out back, and it reaches up with an impressive verticality that grants this pipe a comfortable smoking posture in concert with the smart downturn at the bit.

The asymmetrical panels rounding the stummel encircle a bulging area near the center of the briar, creating some plump roundness to appreciate, with the leftmost panel showcasing a larger diameter than the right. The central area of the stummel, to make up for this difference in surface area through the panels, comprises a diminution from the left to the right, with this cinched area of briar being more expansive near the top than the bottom. Such a disparity within the width of the central panel further enhances the asymmetry of this pipe, and it grants the shape a more dynamic, organic look that flares from the heel to the rim. A truly unique, very special piece from the legendary artisan, this pipe is dressed in a warm, rich, walnut-toned contrast stain that reveals stunning grain across every surface of the stummel. Both panels are awash in dense oceans of birdseye that span from edge to edge, creating a mesmerizing display of the swirling pinpricks that holds one's attention fantastically, all while the midsection is striated with equally dense bands of cross grain.