Ashton: Old Church Achievement Apple with Bamboo (XX) Tobacco Pipe

Renowned for their sandblasted finishes, Ashton is one of the few marques to maintain the old English classic style of particularly concise and well-textured finishes such as the Old Church; it's perfect for lovers of traditional tanblasts and testifies to Jimmy Craig's skilled craftsmanship and continuation of the traditional aesthetic started by Bill Ashton-Taylor. It's seen here adorning a rather Danish-looking Apple — the plump bowl inflating out from a gentle transition with the aft line of the bowl neatly forward canted for an added sense of forward momentum. A natural piece in hand, it's around Group 2 in size, benefiting from a lightweight posture and well-balanced feel.

It's offered here as part of the esteemed Achievement series — a line that Jimmy typically reserves for pipes showcasing alternate accent materials or unique shaping cues. Here, the natural tones of the Old Church blast complement the pale yellow hues of the two knuckles of bamboo extending the shank. A visually compelling piece, the abbreviated saddle stem continues the rhythm of the bamboo knuckles, echoed again at the slightly rounded heel below the bowl.