GH.ZHANG: Sandblasted Bulldog (Sergey Ailarov) (05) 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, each of which is serialized, GH Zhang presents pipe smokers with a rare opportunity to procure artisan-style pipes at an accessible price.

One of Russia's most prominent pipe-makers, Sergey Ailarov constantly thinks about pipe design, always sketching out his shapes before carving them. Ailarov draws on Danish, Japanese, and American pipe aesthetics for inspiration, which coalesce into his unique style that is put on proud display here by GH Zhang. This Ailarov "05" Bulldog by GH Zhang possesses a rather atypical bowl, trading the shape's classic, muscular walls for shapely contours that hint at the Egg shape, but it does include traditional beadlines at the bulging waist. The transition features pronounced cheeking, which wraps around to the underside where it forms two defined waves that cradle the bowl. The diamond shank tapers horizontally and vertically to the bit, imbuing the piece with some dynamism before joining to the trim vulcanite saddle stem. This particular Ailarov "05" is dressed in a ruddy sandblast, the rugged texture of the briar exuding rustic appeal.