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Brands

W.O. Larsen

(Straight Grains and Pearls)

Tier:

Affordable	Mid-grade	Elevated	High-grade	Top
			X

Country: Denmark

Price: € 200 - 1500

Production method:

Factory	Machine-assisted	Freehand
		X

Notes: W.O. Larsen's high-end pipes are the Straight Grains and Pearls. They were carved for the Copenhagen firm by various, usually famous Danish artisans. Only very rarely did these makers stamp their own initials on a Larsen pipe. For many, guessing the creator of an individual piece is part of the attraction of owning one.

There are numerous grades within the larger Straight Grain range: An F may contain fills, whereas standard SGs are marked 1 - 10 in ascending order. The top of the range are Pearls, stamped with the famous smoker's chair symbol. Formerly, there were at least three (possibly five) sub-divisions within the Pearl grade itself, indicated by stars stamped on the shank.

From Teddy Knudsen to Tonni Nielsen, almost every top carver in Denmark has worked for W.O. Larsen at some time or other. However, in recent years, few prominent makers have found such subcontracting financially viable. Those who have an established name of their own normally no longer engage in it.

More mundane pipes by W.O. Larsen once included the 'Super' grade - a less excitingly grained spin-off from SG production. Other pipes below 'Straight Grain' status come in various qualities, including the very respectable hand-made 'Select' line. But none are produced to the same standards as the Supers, SGs and Pearls.

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