Denmark, 1980s
At first sight, the pipe appears to be a part of the illustrious “Danish Golden era” freehands, standing proudly alongside the likes of Preben Holm, Karl Erik, and Holtorp creations. And indeed, this initial impression seems warranted, as the nomenclature reads “SUNALP \ HANDCUT DENMARK.” However, our investigations led us to an interesting discovery – the US trademark “SUNALP,” registered by Erdal Sunalp in Los Gatos, CA, in 1978. This trademark encompassed “smoking pipes, lighters, and cigar humidor cases.” Interestingly, one can find both luxurious meerschaum block pipes bearing the SUNALP trademark, as well as more affordable “SUNALP France” artifacts. Alas, the trademark has been inactive since 1990. One can hardly dismiss this as mere coincidence. It seems we have stumbled upon an extraordinary tobacconist, who sourced products from various countries, including these exquisite Danish works of art!
Pipe markings “Sunalp \ HANDCUT DENMARK”
Length 16.2 cm (6.38″)
Bowl Height 6.5 cm (2.56″)
Outside Dimensions 5.0 x 5.9 cm (1.97 x 2.32″)
Chamber Diameter 2.1 cm (0.83″)
Chamber Depth 4.7 cm (1.85″)
Weight 73 gr.
Briar, acrylic stem, no filter.
There were several small scratches and dents on the bowl, which were carefully patched up during the restoration.
The pipe was accurately smoked, it has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, sanitized and now is ready for a new life.
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