Icon Potato Sack

Out of stock

If I have not said it often enough, I shall say it again: Sixten Ivarsson is the greatest pipe carver that has ever carved a pipe. All by himself, he created pipes that would define the way all pipes are carved – or at least the way all pipes should be carved. Frugal, almost to a fault, he started using horn an bamboo, for briar was scarce and dear. Modest, yet many anecdotes are told of how he refused to sell a pipe to a certain customer, who did not take care of his pipes too diligently, or another, who queried the strength of a bamboo shanked pipe, causing Sixten to throw the pipe in the air and letting it drop to the ground, saying, “There, you see it is quite resilient. Just do not make a habit of it.”.

I am convinced that the reason he carved his first potato sack, was the small block of briar he had in his hand and that he just could not discard. Pinching the shape a bit here and stretching it a bit there, adding a shank extension and shaping around the pits and flaws in the briar. he created this truly iconic shape.