Poul Hansen was one of the carvers that made the famous “Shape Reformed” pipes at Pipe Dan in Copenhagen, shapes that had been developed by Gert Holbek and Dan Christensen. But what, one now wonders, is the purpose of this rather extreme tall bowl with its rather narrow chamber? I believe it was to help cigarette smokers convert to the pipe. This is because it is especially well suited to fine-cut Virginia tobacco, which burns sweetly and easily in this sort of bowl. Moreover, the angle of the shank and the saddle bit allows the pipe to sit lightly in the mouth, while the smoke rises straight up over the smoker’s head.
I am very fond of this example. The bowl and shank are especially well shaped. It has an excellent, highly textured blast, and the handcut bit’s shoulder flares outward slightly to echo the shape of the bowl. The quality of workmanship is first rate.
Likewise, the condition of the pipe is outstanding in all regards—the bowl is clean and smooth, the color symmetrical, the bit free of bite marks, and the nomenclature clear and crisp.