From a Fujian wood shop to your tea tray
Michael Zhan first noticed a set of slender cherry tongs in a small wood-carving studio on the outskirts of Yongchun, Fujian, while sourcing bamboo tea utensils for the constellation shops. The studio — run by a father-and-son team — has been producing tea ceremony tools for three decades, using local cherry and bamboo. Michael was drawn to the cherry wood’s light weight and the way the grain holds a smooth finish without releasing resin, which can taint delicate oolongs. He asked the craftsman to refine the design for modern gongfu brewing: the arms were made thinner to fit the narrow rim of 30 ml cups, and the grip point was carved with a shallow finger indent for control. Each pair is shaped from a single piece of wood, then hand-sanded through five grits before receiving two coats of food-safe mineral oil. The result is a quiet, ergonomic tool that disappears into the ritual — a small but essential addition to any working tray. Michael now returns to Yongchun twice a year to select cherry stock and check consistency across batches. These tongs are the result of his spring 2025 visit.