Smooth Bent Dublin with Moose Antler (Lion) Tobacco Pipe

When I purchased one of W.Ø. Larsen's famously popular horn tampers years ago, I had no idea that it was most likely carved by Lasse Skovgaard, who got his start in that capacity at the famous workshop. He went on to learn pipe making from Teddy Knudsen and from his father, Benni Jorgensen, two of the finest pipe makers of the modern era. That education contributed to his monumental skills with the design and execution of fine pipes, as seen here with this bent Dublin.

This piece offers a curved, softly inflated rim housing an avid display of birdseye, its crisp ridgeline almost mushroom-like and extending along the far rim to provide a gentle cap. That crisply defined ridgeline is echoed at the end of the shank, which expands dramatically to introduce an echoing dome with its own sharp ridgeline. An accent of moose antler introduces a contrast of rustic material and elegant shaping at the base of the stem for a distinct visual separation of stem and stummel. The extended transition offers pleasing and adequate curvature for resting a thumb, and the undercurve of the piece replicates the upper inflection of the shank for harmonious resonance in this museum-quality rendition. It's a piece more than deserving of Lasse's prestigious Lion stamp, the carver's highest grade.