Check out Tonni Nielson's latest creation

[LatakiaLover]

Usually with "art pipes" (a.k.a. freehands) the vision isn't at the same level as the execution, or the execution isn't at the same level as the vision.

Here's an example of the needle pinned in the red for both attributes in the same specimen:

http://www.apassionforpipes.com/neills- ... elsen.html

[dreadroberts]

Amazing!

[The Smoking Yeti]

I saw this photo set just after the Richmond show, and I was blown away. I still am. I completely agree with what you're saying. This pipe right here was made possible because Tonni has made a lot of classics. He knows how to shape really well. Being able to refine and direct lines with freehand shapes is actually really difficult. It requires an innate understanding of what the pipe needs to look complete. It isn't a skill you can teach.

[W.Pastuch]

That's a nice one....
I think very few pipemakers would make this kind of shape out of that block of briar. Cutting it differently would have probably brought out nice straight grain with less work, while Tonni went for this kind of organic look, where the grain goes from straight to flame to birdseye along the curves and concave panels. I'm impressed by that.
Just... the stem... I don't think I will ever like amber colored mouthpieces....

P.S.
The surname is spelled Nielsen.

[BobR]

Amazing, but is this really what a "smoking pipe" should be or it is simply a work of art? Do you have to make a million dollars a year to actually smoke the thing and not care about the reduced value?

I wonder how much money he could make just making works of art? I'm sure he would be successful. Are people willing to pay more because it's a pipe rather than just a spectacular piece of art? Maybe the simple answer is it's just what he wants to do. He likes making pipes.

What to you guys think?

[dreadroberts]

I see what you mean there. I would be hard pressed to lay out a ton of cash, for what is clearly a work of art in my opinion, and then light up.

Though I could never own a piece like this, I would give a lot of money to see that thing up close. As said previously it took a high amount of skill to carve into a chunk of briar and come up with the near perfect angles that accentuates the grain so well.

[mredmond]

If it wasn't a pipe first, it probably wouldn't have been made from briar and the design elements used to separate the types of grain, plateaux, etc wouldn't have been applied the same way. This pipes "art" is directly informed by the fact that it's a pipe and I would guess that Tonni wants it to be smoked, as most pipe makers seem to.

[BobR]

If it wasn't a pipe first, it probably wouldn't have been made from briar and the design elements used to separate the types of grain, plateaux, etc wouldn't have been applied the same way. This pipes "art" is directly informed by the fact that it's a pipe and I would guess that Tonni wants it to be smoked, as most pipe makers seem to.

I agree. That's a very good point.

I do think that Tonni's ability trancends pipe making and I'm surprised in a way that somebody that skilled has stuck with making pipes. Not that that's bad in any way...

[Sasquatch]

Bob, asking "is this what a smoking pipe should be" is probably not quite the right phrase, because the answer is going to be totally subjective and range from "Hell yes!" to "Hell no!". That is, however, what a smoking pipe CAN be.

One of the things that confuses the new maker is that whole bunch of pipes look "the same" to him, ie they are acorns or blowfish or whatever, and he gets off thinking "I need to make that stuff." It isn't true.

A pipe can just be a pipe. It can be made, sold, smoked, all just "as a pipe". And there's not a damn thing wrong with that. A pipe can also be a mesmerizing expression of carving talent, probably at some point getting away from smokeable and drifting more to pure art in some cases. In the case presented, Tonni's perfect airway goes some way to showing that the thing is a smoker if the buyer wishes it. Might not be for kayaking with, but hey.

I think that's an incredible pipe in just about every way. It's amazing. I'd never smoke it, but I'd keep it in a box with a locking lid so it didn't creep out!

[Massis]

wow. simply : wow.

I might differ from most guys here, but if I had the money to buy such a masterpiece, I would darn well smoke it! (once every five years with extreme caution and then place it back in its glass vault)

[pipedreamer]

It's a Dragon, it's meant to breath fire.

[WCannoy]

I must not know much about pipes. I've been waiting for someone else to post that they don't see what the big deal is so that I could shyly slink in behind them and quietly agree. Well, that hasn't happened, so here goes...

If I saw this pipe in any other context, without knowing who made it, I would assume it was made by an American carver... one who probably couldn't make a billiard. Ten years ago, I might have mistook it for one of my own at a glance. These days, it looks more like a Batson than a Nielsen.

It's a nice pipe, for sure. But the real creativity and imagination is in the writing of the accompanying article.

[d.huber]

I think the pipe in the OP is a nice pipe, like Walt said, but I have to agree. I don't find it as beautiful as some of his other works.

I dunno. Maybe I'm crazy but this one, at least to me, is the nicest pipe I've seen from Nielsen: http://www.apassionforpipes.com/neills- ... -away.html

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[LatakiaLover]

I must not know much about pipes. I've been waiting for someone else to post that they don't see what the big deal is so that I could shyly slink in behind them and quietly agree. Well, that hasn't happened, so here goes...

If I saw this pipe in any other context, without knowing who made it, I would assume it was made by an American carver... one who probably couldn't make a billiard. Ten years ago, I might have mistook it for one of my own at a glance. These days, it looks more like a Batson than a Nielsen.

It's a nice pipe, for sure. But the real creativity and imagination is in the writing of the accompanying article.

Not like it? Sure.

Contemptuous dismissal? You must be fucking kidding me.

[KurtHuhn]

I must not know much about pipes. I've been waiting for someone else to post that they don't see what the big deal is so that I could shyly slink in behind them and quietly agree. Well, that hasn't happened, so here goes...

Allow me to slip in shyly behind your post...

My initial reaction to the pipe was "Meh.". Don't get me wrong, I can see that a heck of a lot of work went into it from someone that understood briar , the grain, and how to stain it. I also "get" the inspiration - due in large part to the use of the grain. But...

I don't like it.

It looks like one of those Russian expansion chamber, ass-heavy, wasp-waisted, oddities. And I don't really care for those.

But don't mind me - I drive a rusty pickup, listen to heavy metal, my only footwear is work boots, I eat what I kill, and I consider a polo shirt "dressed up".

As I was explaining to someone who was questioning why on God's green earth would I ever want a Glock 42, you can't account for personal taste. All sorts of choices get made these days due to blind brand loyalty, or because the maker is "a big name", or any number of emotional reasons. That doesn't mean it's a bad choice - it just means that other folks will disagree with you, and that's just fine.

[andrew]

As I was explaining to someone who was questioning why on God's green earth would I ever want a Glock 42,

It's because your hands are too big for a 27, duh.

andrew

[wdteipen]

I must not know much about pipes. I've been waiting for someone else to post that they don't see what the big deal is so that I could shyly slink in behind them and quietly agree. Well, that hasn't happened, so here goes...

If I saw this pipe in any other context, without knowing who made it, I would assume it was made by an American carver... one who probably couldn't make a billiard. Ten years ago, I might have mistook it for one of my own at a glance. These days, it looks more like a Batson than a Nielsen.

It's a nice pipe, for sure. But the real creativity and imagination is in the writing of the accompanying article.

My initial reaction was similar. I refrained from commenting because I try not to criticize other peoples work unless it's solicited. That being said, I'm going to offer my unsolicited opinion because I just can't help myself. I can certainly see how certain aspects of the craftsmanship of this pipe are special. But as a whole it doesn't appeal to me for the same reasons as Kurt mentions. It's just not a style I particularly care for. Additionally, I think it's well executed but when I look at the sea dragon it's inspired by, I don't see the relationship between the two. Perhaps I'm just a luddite.

[KurtHuhn]

As I was explaining to someone who was questioning why on God's green earth would I ever want a Glock 42,

It's because your hands are too big for a 27, duh.

Seriously though - one finger on the grip?! The 19/23 is about as small I can go in the doublestacks.

[LatakiaLover]

I had two of the first-ever Detonics .45's. Even with my non-Ostrogoth-sized hands, it felt like drinking moonshine from a bone china teacup.

I can't imagine handling carry-much-shoot-little pistolas with bear paws.

[BobR]

I guess gun talk can diffuse any disagreements (at least in the US).

I have a Glock 27 with Novak low profile night sights and it's great. I shoot it with my pinkie curled under the grip. I'm so used to it I actually hate any extensions plus it's sweet for CC. The only issue I've ever had it it doesn't like Remington range ammo due to the flat nose (i get mis-feeds).