English Estates: Ashton Pebble Paneled Bent Billiard (XXX) Tobacco Pipe

Ashton is an English workshop that's highly regarded for their classic renditions of Anglo-French shape chart standards, though this paneled bent Billiard is quite a different piece from the brand. Not only is it distinct from their own paneled pieces we've seen before, but it's unique amongst the vast majority of pipes within the English tradition, with a fair degree of curves about its build that are reminiscent of the Danish or Italian schools. Much of this curvature is immediately recognizable at the bowl, with the fore and aft walls taking on a slight arc from the heel to the rim, offering a singular feel in hand. Said bowl is rounded by a quartet of panels, with the vertices of the panels being a good deal softer than one would usually expect, not only tempering the firmness of the outline, but keeping the aforementioned feel in hand comfortable. The shank here is slightly bent, curving upward gently and meeting a saddle stem that counterbalances this bend by sloping downward, keeping the profile essentially straight while offering a wealth of dynamic style that's sure to keep the eyes occupied. Additionally, the stummel here has been treated to a lovely sandblast courtesy of the Pebble Grain series, revealing dense stacks of ring grain cascading down the bowl beneath its inky stain.