Erik Nørding, having originally been schooled as a machinist and engineer, took up pipe carving as a part time hobby during the 1950s. By the mid-1960s he began professionally carving hand-made pipes in Slangerup, Denmark and, along with a number of other carvers during that time, worked in the new Freehand style that heavily emphasised organic flowing shapes and aesthetically unified stems and bowls.

Nørding uses premium Corsican and Grecian plateau briar for all of the pipes made in the Nørding factory. Over the last thirty years, Nørding has cultivated a style that is all his own. The most distinct aspect of his work is the fluid way in which he matches the stem with the shank. His stem work is unusual and interesting, designed to incorporate stylistic elements that emphasise both the bowl and the shank.

Though known for his Freehands, Nørding's factory also produces the Hunting Series, an annual release inspired by and named for a specific animal, in association with Danish wildlife artist Mogens Andersen; some standardised shape lines that provide a less expensive alternative without compromising the quality of the smoke; and more recently the Compass line of wooden Poker stummels matched to metal shanks and, in some cases, metal casings around the stummel itself.