Askwith Moon Rock Bent Pot (2022) Tobacco Pipe

Chris Askwith started smoking pipes in 2006 and soon after began restoring estate pipes and attending meetings of the UK's South West Pipe Club. There he met Paul Hubartt of Larrysson Pipes, whose tools Chris used to make his first Askwith pipes before investing in his own tools and a home workshop. Chris still makes his pipes in his home of Plymouth, England. In addition to briar, Chris often uses morta, or oak that has fallen into peat bogs and been preserved over time. He also handcrafts colorful stems from a wide variety of materials, including polyester, horn, and cumberland.

The finish of this bent Pot is named Moon Rock for a simple reason — Chris put round craters in the walls of the sandblasted bowl similar to the lunar impact craters you might find looking through a telescope. The effect is fascinating, as many of the craters are large enough to comfortably fit a fingertip when holding the bowl. The stummel wears a dark stain and the walls are quite muscular behind the craters, while the shank is steeply upturned before meeting the bent cumberland stem. It's a playful piece from Chris that feels as unique as it looks.