Former: Smooth Apple with Ivorite Tobacco Pipe

Once supervisor of the prestigious W.Ø. Larsen workshop and manager of Bentley pipes in Switzerland and Germany, Hans "Former" Nielsen has been crafting pipes for over sixty years, including his own handmade work still available today. His pipes are among the most collected and renowned in the world, and he's as much a capable machinist and craftsman as he is a discerning artist: His pipes are the pinnacle of engineering and quality, and his shaping style adheres to artisan renditions of timeless designs. Former's portfolio comprises countless Apple and Billiard designs, among other classics, and this particular Apple rendition is among his most signature œuvres.

Out of all his pipes, Former's Apples are among the most vigorously collected and celebrated. His sense of proportions and line is on beautiful display, and each is a perfect, lifelong smoking companion of convenient size and stunning aesthetics. Offered here is a rare smooth iteration. The bowl is plump, as the shape demands, and the profile is kept sleek and streamlined through the slender shank and hand-cut saddle stem. Most notably, a stunning band of vertical grain follows the shank's straight trajectory before arcing across the bowl to leave birdseye above and below. It's accented with a slim cap of Ivorite for contrast, allowing the perfect shaping and immaculate grain orientation to take center stage.