English Estates: Astley's Smooth Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Astley's was a respected London tobacconist that additionally commissioned pipes to be made under their name, sourcing pieces from a variety of different English marques and workshops. While none of these pipes were stamped with the names of their various makers, they still maintained the unique styles of their carvers, making us suspect that this lean straight Dublin is the work of the James Upshall workshop. At more than six and a half inches long, this pipe is quite lengthy, the extended reach of the shank and stem doing well to balance the visual weight of the bowl and lies quite low on the bowl. Said transition is wide enough to accommodate a digit easily and sees the bowl take on a dynamic and attractive forward cant as it grows out of the sweeping heel. The walls here are quite softly contoured, comprising an easy flare that terminates at a firm ridge which marks a domed arc to the rim, the entire build rising to more than two inches tall. Dressed in a warm chestnut stain and paired to a black stem, this pipe is certainly a classically stylized one, and the grain the stain showcases is quite lovely.