Danish pipes! What say you?

[OtherMoe]

So a little history. Early in my piping I picked up an estate Stanwell Bishop. Admittedly I was new to pipes and my technique and tobacco prep has improved since then, but it was the wettest smoker of any pipes I did have, so I sold it. Fast forward to now and I picked up a Bjarne (NOT a Viking model) and am in process of cleaning it up and am thinking i'd still like to add another Danish pipe. I've read where many put Nording and Stanwell on the same level and some put Nording a cut above Stanwell. I've also seen some Svendborg that look nice. There are of course some Poul Winslow and and others on ebay that are way out of my range. There are some Winslow "Crown" models that seem to be more my range but I know nothing about them.

So, maybe this thread can be used to share experience with Danish pipes. Forgive me if there is such a thread but I couldn't find one.

-Moe

 

[Senshi]

I personally think Stanwells smoke better than Nordings. Both of my Nordings were very wet smokers and I think a lot of that has to do with how fast he's making them and the minimal amount of time that goes into the tenon and mortise creation. The patent year Stanwells are highly sought after as well if you can find one for a good deal.

It's tough because guys like Bjarne, Winslow and other great danes tend to put their name on a wide variety of pipes. Some that meet that expectation of having their name and others that fall short. Danish design and pipes is not my preference so I don't have much to add to this. Looking forward to seeing what the more experienced Danish Pipe fans have to say.

 

[Kilroy6644]

I've only got one Danish pipe, a Nording Eriksen. It's a $30 pipe with a removable briar bowl, and a plastic body that you put volcanic clay pebbles in to absorb moisture. It's a "gimmick pipe," but as awful as it sounds, it's really not bad. Gets kind of hot, though. For an experienced pipesman looking for a nice Dane it won't fit the bill, but it's nice as a curiosity, or for a beginner.

So, that's my experience with Danish pipes. I'll be watching this thread, because I've been wanting a good Dane too. I think my first choice would be an estate Stanwell. I've got five Stanwells that I love, but they're all the newer Italian-made ones. Since Stanwell is (was?) an iconic Danish pipe maker, it seems wrong to not have a Danish-made one. I've been eyeing up some Nordings, too.

 

[Hirsute]

I have a few Danish pipes--2 Bjarnes, 4 Stanwells, 2 Nordings, and an Eriksen (Nording sub-brand). Now, of those, the Bjarnes are the only ones that's look like what many people think of when they think Danish pipes: freehands with plateau briar. The others are all takes on traditional pipe shapes.

So, how do they smoke? As good or bad as my other pipes. They're a mixed bag, just like my Italian pipes, my English pipes, and my American pipes. Pretty hard to generalize, and the differences between brands and prices will make a big difference.

My favorite Danish pipes are some older Stanwells I have from the 60s/70s. Simple shapes, but just great smokers. I'd say it's hard to go wrong with an older Stanwell.

Also, pay attention to the measurements if you're buying Danish pipes (or really any pipe) online. Some are freakishly huge or have nonstandard bowl diameters but don't necessarily look like it because every other aspect of the pipe is proportional.

 

[Hirsute]

I'll also add that the Winslow Crowns are great values. There is some misinformation on the internet about these, so check out Winslow's website. They are handmade and every bit a Winslow. Just different quality grain, different shapes (less time consuming), and different finishing. However, mechanics are supposed to be just as good as a Winslow high grade.

 

[Slickside]

I own one older Stanwell and it smokes very well. It's the only Dane I have so I can't compare to any others.

 

[alpster]

I have 1 Erik Nording that is a genuine 'Hand made', a very expensive pipe that smokes as you would expect of a particularly fine pipe. I also have 1 Soren freehand that smokes OK, but the conical shape makes it hard to handle and you can't put it down. I also have 2 Bari pipes and they are among my favorites, one a big freehand and the other a bent sitter. My experience with Danish pipes has been positive overall. If you are shopping, the Bari is a low cost reliable smoker and are pretty easy to find as estate pipes.

 

[Deano]

I have a Nording freehand and an no name Denmark and like them both. The no name my wife got me for Christmas back in the early 90's. While its not my best smoker its good and my favorite pipe. The freehand is an excellent smoker.

 

[jwien20264]

I love my stanwell brushed black. Very good value and a great smoker.

 

[Big Fish]

I own 2 pipes from Denmark a Celius Fantasy and a Ben Wade 100.
I bought em both back in the 70's , they're still high in the favorite list.

 

[HisDukeNess]

Love them... Smoke great and some of the prettiest in my collection. All Danish made stanwells. Top-bottom: 60's 34 sixten iversson design, 03 bone shank inlay, 187 golden danish. All older, but I like and smoke them a lot. Way before the 9mm & "danish desigin" days.

 

[CptBlueBear]

I have three Danes: a Stanwell Royal Danish, a Stanwell second and a Svendborg.

The last was my first "quality" pipe and I smoked it pretty much exclusively for six months both with and without a filter. I can't say its ever suffered from being wet. The first is a kind of poor mans Danish axe. Bought from eBay, the seller had used it only a couple of times but smoked some horrible smelling vanilla thing that left an appalling ghost. It shares a stem design with the second - I swapped the two because the fit better that way - which is the only wet smoker among them. Its not a serious issue, highly dependent on 'Baccy and easily cured by pulling the stem and soaking it up with a pipe cleaner. This last has become my knock-about pipe.

So three Danes and one slightly damp smoker.