Ashton: Brindle Brandy (XXX) Tobacco Pipe

William "Bill" Ashton Taylor began working for Dunhill in 1959 at 15 years old, manning one of the legendary English marque's lathes after a lengthy apprenticeship. During his time at the White Spot, Bill absorbed all the secrets of the craft he could from their experienced carvers, coming into his own as a carver and marking the start of a lengthy career. After feeling the need to start his own company, Bill founded Ashton pipes in 1983, going into business for himself and holding his work to extremely strict standards of quality that have earned the Ashton name an excellent reputation. William passed away in 2009, entrusting Ashton's production to Jimmy Craig, his protege, who has maintained the stringent standards of his predecessor, creating pieces with timeless appeal and classic charm. This Brandy is an excellent example of that timeless style, with a wide transition and a gently tapering length of shank, paired here to a more sharply tapered stem of brindled orange and black vulcanite. Up front, the bowl stands atop a rather pronounced heel, marking a low-set waistline followed by a measured taper as the bowl's walls rise toward the trim rim. Dressing this pipe is the warm, ruby-tinged sandblast of the Brindle series, revealing a dense array of stacked growth rings cascading down the circumference of the bowl.