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Lars Ivarsson

Tier:

Country: Denmark

Price: €1500+

Production method:

Notes: Son of the legendary Sixten, father of hyper-talented Nanna and arguably the second most prestigious carver in the world, Lars Ivarsson has been making pipes under his own name since the early 1960s. With an output of 50 to 80 pieces a year, his work is almost as difficult to find as that of Bo Nordh himself.

Ivarsson does his own sandblasting - less deep, but just as detailed and sharp as that of some American specialists. Pipes have individual year/number stamps. He is said to spend days on the finish of each piece, and is also known for extremely thin and unobtrusive bits.

Comments: With Jess Chonowitsch - though probably ahead of him - Lars Ivarsson is generally placed in an exclusive class just below Bo Nordh. He is 'artier' than Jess, but no less meticulous as an engineer. On account of his more imaginative repertoire, I find his super-human status rather easier to justify than Chonowitsch's, especially as his work is also rarer (and usually more expensive).

Nevertheless, smokers should realise that both Jess and Lars - and Bo himself - are in the 'irrational' price range. Collectors looking for something similarly unique might like to consider rather more affordable makers, such as Björn Bengtsson. That's not to belittle the gods of carving, but to add an uplifting note for the 'price conscious'!

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