C-Pipe Partially Rusticated Prince w/ Bamboo Handmade Briar Pipe, New

About this pipe:

Not unlike certain 20th century Western pipe making institutions, such as Charatan, Pibe-Dan, or WO Larsen, a number of workshops in China have emerged in the 21st century filled with artisans working under a single banner. This includes GH Zhang, Qi Pipe Studio, and C-Pipe. With C-Pipe, however, there is something of a difference. Founded by former architect and lifelong pipe collector YiGang Wang, C-Pipe is a workshop of around a dozen artisans, most of whom originally came to pipe making from fields such as fine art and industrial design. While there are clear influences on C-Pipe’s output from various post-war schools, the workshop’s style is as varied as the individuals who work there. The resulting pipes reflect a synthesis of collective and individual creative endeavors, following a model closer to the ones pursued by Scandinavian post-war institutions, and which made artisan pipes what they are today.

While difficult to work with, bamboo has many advantages when it comes to pipe making, not least in its capacity to afford exceedingly lightweight designs. This bamboo prince from C-Pipe is a good example of that affordance in action. Despite being well over 6 inches in length, the pipe is a genuine featherweight, at less than an ounce in weight. In a very interesting move away from convention, the design also incorporates a tactile, Italian-style partial rustication round its bowl, making for a pipe that is equal parts distinctive and ergonomic.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 0.84″ / 21.33mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 34g