GH.ZHANG: Dark Sandblasted Bent Egg with Silver (Ping Zhan) (06) Tobacco Pipe

Guo Hui Zhang's passion for pipes began with his work as an importer and purveyor of pipe-making materials. Zhang's understanding of large-scale pipe logistics inspired an exciting idea: the mass production of high-quality, artisan pipes. In 2017, he opened the GH Zhang workshop and partnered with pipe makers around the world to achieve his vision. Each GH Zhang pipe is designed by a famous artisan pipe maker and shaped on a CNC machine before being finished by hand and fitted with stems by the team at GH Zhang. Offering more than 40 shapes in smooth and sandblasted finishes, GH Zhang presents pipe smokers with a rare opportunity to procure artisan-style pipes at an accessible price.

Hailing from Dalian, China, Ping Zhan is among the most well known and highly regarded pipe makers working today. Zhan began carving pipes in 2011 and draws much of his inspiration from the Danish and Japanese schools of pipe design, displaying a keen eye for sleek lines and inventive shaping. Most recognized for his free-flowing organic shaping, Zhan's approach to more standard shapes is well represented in this dynamic "06" bent Egg design. A flowing, gestural piece, it places a plump, curvaceous bowl atop a lifted heel, with supple walls that culminate in an organically undulating rim. Out back, a cheeked transition emphasizes the curvature of the bowl before giving way to an upward-curling round shank adorned with a bright silver mount at its junction to a comfortably bent saddle stem of black vulcanite. Dressed in crisp black sandblast, the finely textured stummel offers plenty of tactile intrigue.