Nielsen, Kai

The Danish artist Kai Nielsen learned the art of pipe making from his father, Viggo Nielsen, with whom he worked from childhood in his own workshop. Together with his brother Jorgen, he worked until 1975 for the label Bari, founded by his father. Then he founded his own company, as the path to becoming a freehand artist appealed more to him than taking over his father’s manufacturing business. Among others, Kurt Balleby was his apprentice.

In Nielsen's pipes, the style of his father can still be recognized – he prefers classic ball and bulldog shapes with the typical wide saddle on the top of the mouthpiece. The trademark of Nielsen's pipes is the small silver spike (recognizable as a silver dot on the outside), which was originally intended to fix the Teflon plugs in the mouthpiece.

A curiosity: the name „Kaj Nielsen“ is always stamped on his pipes. This is due to a mistake in the production of the embossing stamp, which Kai Nielsen did not further disturb. So he refrained from making any corrections and the name “Kaj” can still be read on his pipes to this day. Nielsen produces approximately 600 to 700 pipes per year.

Nielsen, Kai

The Danish artist Kai Nielsen learned the art of pipe making from his father, Viggo Nielsen, with whom he worked from childhood in his own workshop. Together with his brother Jorgen, he worked until 1975 for the label Bari, founded by his father. Then he founded his own company, as the path to becoming a freehand artist appealed more to him than taking over his father’s manufacturing business. Among others, Kurt Balleby was his apprentice.

In Nielsen's pipes, the style of his father can still be recognized – he prefers classic ball and bulldog shapes with the typical wide saddle on the top of the mouthpiece. The trademark of Nielsen's pipes is the small silver spike (recognizable as a silver dot on the outside), which was originally intended to fix the Teflon plugs in the mouthpiece.

A curiosity: the name „Kaj Nielsen“ is always stamped on his pipes. This is due to a mistake in the production of the embossing stamp, which Kai Nielsen did not further disturb. So he refrained from making any corrections and the name “Kaj” can still be read on his pipes to this day. Nielsen produces approximately 600 to 700 pipes per year.

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The Danish artist Kai Nielsen learned the art of pipe making from his father, Viggo Nielsen, with whom he worked from childhood in his own workshop. Together with his brother Jorgen, he worked until 1975 for the label Bari, founded by his father. Then he founded his own company, as the path to becoming a freehand artist appealed more to him than taking over his father’s manufacturing business. Among others, Kurt Balleby was his apprentice.

In Nielsen's pipes, the style of his father can still be recognized – he prefers classic ball and bulldog shapes with the typical wide saddle on the top of the mouthpiece. The trademark of Nielsen's pipes is the small silver spike (recognizable as a silver dot on the outside), which was originally intended to fix the Teflon plugs in the mouthpiece.

A curiosity: the name „Kaj Nielsen“ is always stamped on his pipes. This is due to a mistake in the production of the embossing stamp, which Kai Nielsen did not further disturb. So he refrained from making any corrections and the name “Kaj” can still be read on his pipes to this day. Nielsen produces approximately 600 to 700 pipes per year.