Sandblasted Acorn with Boxwood (2025) Tobacco Pipe

Drawing on shaping cues both Danish and Chinese, Chinese artisan Lv Zelong crafts pipes with a meticulous attention to detail, imbuing each work with a superb functionality. He is known for his vibrant finish work and unique accents, as seen in this Acorn.

A gorgeous, truly one-of-a-kind work of craftsmanship, the pipe demonstrates Zelong's mastery of the craft. Organic in shape, the bowl easily evokes the appearance of its namesake tree nut. It swells out from a soft heel as sandblasted growth rings guide the eye through a short flare into a robust, high-set waist placed just below the rim. From here, the walls form a plump taper into the rim. While the majority of the stummel wears an dark, understated sandblast, the smooth and auburn-stained rim offers one of two brief points of contrasting color on the pipe. The other pop of color comes from a slim boxwood accent at the junction. The lithe shank gradually swells out of a cinched transition until it meets the boxwood accent, which represents the widest point of the shank-and-stem arrangement, then the saddle stem forms a staggered inward step to the slim bit.

Overall, this Acorn demonstrates Zelong's mastery over balance in form and color. The stummel's sleek undercurve promises a comfortable posture in the hand, while a moderately sized chamber hits the sweet spot in capacity, making this a good fit for a variety of blends and occasions.