Peter Hedegaard – OP3
Peter Hedegaard began his career in the 1970s. He learnt the craft in the workshop of W.Ø. Larsen in Copenhagen, among other places – the legendary breeding ground for Danish "Freehand" design.
The OP stands for "Own Shape". In contrast to his classic models (such as traditional Billiards or Princes), Hedegaard used the OP stamp for his free-form pipes (Freehands). These are pipes in which he was guided primarily by the natural grain of the wood. Every OP pipe is a completely unique piece.
Hedegaard’s grading scale generally ranged from 1 to 4 (with 4 being the highest grade, awarded to pipes displaying a perfect, flawless straight grain or birdseye pattern).
A grade of 3 therefore indicates a pipe of exceptionally high calibre. The wood displays an excellent, dense grain, often featuring a very clean flame grain or fine straight grain.
As Peter Hedegaard passed away far too early in 2008, the supply of his pipes is finite. Depending on the exact characteristics of the grain and shape, a Hedegaard OP3 can fetch four-figure sums in euros on the international collectors’ market.
