Red Sandblasted Bent Egg (Alex Florov) (01) 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.

This "01" bent Egg is a design by American artisan Alex Florov and embodies a fluid, sinuous silhouette that's rich with curvature and charmingly robust of build. The transition is wide and eagerly accepts a draped digit, giving way out back to a flaring shank that lifts and curls toward a firm ridgeline and domed face, inlaid with a brass ring. Paired to this shank is a push-mounted saddle stem that takes on a gentle downturn to the bit, its fitment to the stummel reinforced by the brass, while the expansion ring at its base matches the shank's ridged flare. Up front, the bowl sits atop a sweeping heel and grows walls which dynamically cant forward and boast a supple rounding throughout their comfortable taper to the rim. A classically Danish take on the iconic shape, this bent Egg is available in a variety of finishes, with this particular piece presented in an auburn-tinged sandblast.