While I think that Voltaire was really on to something when he opined “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I am certain that the goldfish shape holds an appeal to all pipe smokers, without regard to their established preferences. Seriously! Have you ever seen a collector at a pipe show pick up a well made goldfish, and not assume a wee bit of a “damn, now that is cute!” look on his face? Lovely of grain and petite in size, this amiable briar will snuggle in your paw as if formed for that very purpose (come to think of it, it was… never mind), and has the potential to become your favorite pipe for those times when you are out and about. Given that this briar is created by Danish legend, and bears all of the excellence in drilling and engineering that you would expect from the same, I’ll (again) assume one of the French philosopher’s definition of the absurd; I am certain that Benni Jorgensen’s work represents the finest value in a totally handmade Danish pipe today. If you have a better candidate for that title, I would love to here it.

Bear Graves