The End of an Era:

- Nording Closes Down -

Preface

Before I start writing about Nording, I must confess a few things:

I have known the family my entire life.

Erik was my father’s best friend, and he was one of the people carrying my father’s coffin at his funeral in church.

Moreover, my father was Erik’s very first professional customer.

When I was a young boy in the 1980s, I often joined my father when he visited Nording to buy pipes.

Erik’s son Knud and daughter Helene even worked at our pipe shop when they were young.

Today, they are all very good friends of mine.

So yes — I’m not objective.

The Story

In 2025, Erik Nording, aged 86, together with his daughter-in-law Margarita and his son Knud, decided that it was time to close down their factories in Denmark and Poland.

Business is still good, but at some point, every story must come to an end. So, in the fall of 2025, the remaining stock will be sold, the last pipe bowls finished, the machines sold off — and everything will be gone before February 1st, 2026.

As mentioned in the preface, I have visited the factory in Slangerup, Denmark many times since I was a small child. Some years ago, I wrote a blog about Nording, which can still be found here at danishpipeshop.com under Nik’s Corner.

As an advocate for Danish-made pipes, it is naturally sad for me to see yet another Danish producer close down. The only ones left with any real volume are now Neerup and Eltang/Suhr (Sara Eltang pipes), but neither of them produces anything close to the roughly 20,000 pipes per year that Nording did.

There are no official statistics, but I dare to claim that, in the post–World War II era, Nording is the second most sold Danish pipe brand (by number of pipes), with Stanwell as number one.

A huge part of Nording’s production has always been the Danish Freehand pipes with raw tops, and it’s safe to guess that 80–90% of those went to the U.S. each year. Erik was exceptionally skilled at marketing himself in the States, where he is almost treated like royalty. If you have never met Erik, you have missed something. He is always in a good mood, proactive, and kind to everyone he meets.

Erik’s impact on Danish pipe making is impressive. It peaked in the 1970s, when he had more than 50 employees — including later legendary pipemakers like Jens Tao Nielsen and Poul Ilsted.

Without offending Erik, I would say he may not be the best pipemaker in the world, but perhaps one of the smartest. His fascination with machines and his engineering background gave him a real edge. For instance, he was the only one in Denmark with a range of copy-milling machines designed to produce freehand pipes. This allowed him to make high volumes that only needed hand-finishing and stems.

Design-wise, he has also been all over the place, constantly pushing the limits. His plastic/porcelain Keystone pipes, Hunting pipes, Pocket pipes, the Duck Head pipe, the Groovy Pipes, Freehand pipes with decoupage called Harmony(who thinks of that!?), and not to forget his Guinness Book of Records pipe — I’ve probably forgotten a few.

The Future

As the private house and factory are connected and have been sold as one unit, Erik will move to his summer residence.
Despite being 86 years old, he will continue to make a few handmade pipes the old-school way.
The current stock you see worldwide will naturally disappear, but whether someone will take over the brand name and continue the Nording legacy remains uncertain.