Erik Nørding came to prominence during the “Danish Invasion” of the sixties and seventies by bringing affordable and beautiful Danish-style freehand pipes to the US market. Erik was trained as an engineer which helped him in designing the machinery to make his pipes. 

Erik is very particular about the briar he uses to make his pipes. He only uses block from trees high up on rocky hillsides, as these trees get less water, so the blocks are harder. 

Nørding produces a wide variety of freehand pipes with unique finishes, like the Moss, with a deep red finish with black contrasts. Brown Matte pipes have a golden finish with a matte finish and a dark contrast. Freehand Abstract pipes feature a red stain, and interesting carving patterns with black stain. Signature Smooth pipes are left natural with Erik’s signature on the shank. 

Even after decades in the pipe industry, Erik isn’t done innovating. He created a pipe using a synthetic stem and shank with briar bowls, called Eriksen pipes. They have a chamber under the bowl that you can fill with his KeyStones (crumbled clay pieces) to absorb excess moisture. They’re affordable and easy to carry. 

Finally, he created a series called Compass pipes which use a cylindrical bowl with a combination stem/shank made of a plastic bit and metal shank which fits the bowl like a military bit. There’s even the Compass MacArthur with a taller bowl and a secondary overlength stem shank. They’re priced attractively and are wonderfully practical.