Sandblasted “Fu Dai” with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Chinese artisan Li Xin studied at the China Academy of Art and the University of Münster in Germany and worked in real estate and furniture crafting before meeting pipe maker and fellow China Academy of Art graduate Yang Zhimin. Xin had recently had a son and had little time for woodworking, but in 2015, he began apprenticing in Yang's workshop and left real estate the following year to make pipes with Yang full-time. Xin started his own brand in 2018, making pipes with a wide variety of inspirations but with a particular affinity for Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier of S. Bang.

In Chinese, "fu dai" refers to the "lucky bags" or "fortune bags" traditional to the Chinese New Year holiday. The bowl of Xin's creation is accordingly shaped like a bag stuffed with goodies, with a bulging fore wall that is generously rounded. A dark stain and light sandblast decorate the stummel, which is backed by a brief shank of briar before transitioning to a two-knuckle length of dark bamboo that kicks sharply upward into a bent stem of gold-colored vulcanite. This work of Xin's is highly unique in its design and wonderful in its execution, sure to become a favorite among enthusiasts of bamboo pipes.

- Michael Woodel