Ashton: Claret Poker with Silver (ELX) Tobacco Pipe

Known for their handsome sandblasts and vibrant, brindled vulcanite stems, Ashton has been led by Jimmy Craig for the last several years after founder Bill Ashton Taylor's passing. His penchant for crafting time-honored, classic designs is evident in this extra large Poker, with the cylindrical bowl, flattened base, and protruding shank-and-stem arrangement all indicative of the beloved, utilitarian form. Here, however, it's rendered in large, palm-wrapping but evenly balanced proportions. The chamber depth is quite impressive and this piece sits with aplomb. The vibrant crimson sandblast of the Claret series dressed the stummel of this pipe, its hues further accentuated by a gleaming, broad band of silver at the shank end. It's all topped by a gorgeous brindled stem of yellow and black, the intermingling hues beautifully complementing the stummel.