English Estates: Askwith Sandblasted Bulldog (2023) Tobacco Pipe

When Chris Askwith started smoking a pipe in 2006, he needed to restore the estate pipes he purchased. A talented silversmith, Askwith discovered that many of his tools and skills lent themselves well to pipes, so, in 2007, Askwith Pipes was born. An English artisan, Askwith draws inspiration from the Anglo-French shape charts but incorporates modern twists, most notably his detailed finishes and colorful stems.

This Bulldog by Chris Askwith is a classically inclined rendition of the shape rendered in archetypal Group 3 size. The pert, conical bowl features two deep beadlines at its waist, which add a tactile flourish to the already rugged texture of the craggy sandblast. Out back, the diamond shank extends to a creamy white accent, which joins to a sleekly tapering stem of black acrylic. Additionally, both the white accent and the jet-black acrylic stem serve as striking counterparts to the smoky, ruby-hued stain that dresses the sandblasted stummel.