Kent Rasmussen, I'm a big fan of

[iamn8]

A few months ago I purchased my first Kent pipe. In my opinion he's just about the best carver on the planet. His sense of aesthetics and his signature style captivate me absolutely. His work is generally quite easy to pick out of a crowd, something not easy to accomplished for a carver making an object that's been around as long as pipes have. I came upon an estate three star on smokingpipes.com and seized it and now eagerly anticipate its arrival. I monitor the market fairly closely and estates by Kent are shockingly uncommon. The only two estates I've seen in the past 7-8 months I've purchased, minus one butterfly which was selling for an insane amount of money. Anyways, here's the new sibling to my Kent, alone no longer. They even look very related!

 

[iamn8]

Oh and here's the Kent I already had....

 

[fishnbanjo]

Hell I'd get enjoyment just looking at those but would be thankful they could infuse my senses with a gratifying smoke as well, real beauties there brother.

banjo

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I like Kent a lot, though I only have one of his pipes. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him at the Chicago show and it was quite enjoyable. Kent started some interesting table conversation on the future of pipemaking and pipesmoking in Denmark which was quite illuminating to say the least. A very nice guy and a brilliant carver.

 

[iamn8]

Wow peck, I bet that was a very cool place to be!! Did I read correctly somewhere that he isn't a pipe smoker?

I find the fact that you have but one Kent.... well Peck, I guess I'm just disappointed is all. You should have at least a half dozen! Please remedy this as soon as you can. If I'm going to go through all the trouble of having expectations, the least you can do is meet those expectations.

 

[lostandfound]

Kent's pipes were the first high-grade pipes my eyes beheld back when I first got into piping. Needless to say, I was shocked and amazed. Nowadays though- I find myself wondering why names like S. Bang, Former, Chonowitsch, etc., are spoken of so much more frequently.
Do you plan on smoking your new Kent?

 

[iamn8]

Jerod, I had the same thought. His name doesn't come up anywhere near as often as those others. I have a few S Bangs and smoke them all, but that one Kent I have... I dunno I just can't bring myself to get fire near it. It has such beautiful grain, even in the bowl. It's just as much sculpture to me as tool. The new Kent... I'll just have to see. I feel as though I'm supposed to smoke them and a few times I've sat down to do just that, but I just couldn't. I've been jumped on more than a few times for it, but if I'm happy just displaying it for myself to enjoy where's the harm? Thus far it's the only one of mine I won't smoke. They are just so sculptural and beautiful.... IMO.

 

[conlejm]

Another beautiful pipe, Nate. Interesting what you say about Kent possibly not being a pipe smoker. But I recall that Leo Fender, whose namesake brand of electric guitars changed Rock & Roll history forever, was not a guitar player. So I guess if this is true about Kent it wouldn't be a complete anomaly.

 

[zack24]

Kent had 6 pipes in Chicago...by the time I saw him on Saturday they were all sold...he makes some phenomenal pipes...

 

[saltedplug]

I have a Bertram Safferling I haven't smoked. It's an estate so I'm not sure that makes the same difference. It's too beautiful!

 

[cigrmaster]

That is a fantastic looking pipe, incredible grain and killer birdseye on the bottom. I hope it smokes great for you, congrats on a fine addition to your collection.
ps. I love your other Kent as well.

 

[halfy]

How do they smoke? I heard Kent is not a smoker himself. How could one make a great smoker without smoking .........

 

[bernie2]

That's a great looking pipe Nate! Congrats!!

 

[newbroom]

Those are a matched set ya got NOW. I don't blame you at all for keeping the first pristine. If the second has been smoked, then perhaps that's a green light, but you may need that pristine condition for when you trade it for another, better pipe you've found. (that was in jest)

I've got lots of unsmoked pipes. None of them are artisan's though. I don't think I'm missing much by maintaining their condition. In fact, they're the ones I'll be dealing off, likely to try to climb the cost ladder in order to obtain something approaching the quality so obvious in your Rassmussen, without digging into virgin funds.