Ashton: Old Church Rhodesian with Silver (XX) 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 Rhodesian from Ashton is presented in XX size, making for a profile that fits handsomely within shape-chart conventions, with its lithely bent shank and stem offering a comfortable smoking posture. This classic rendition of an iconic profile features a proudly upright bowl and smooth transition from shank to stem with a subtle curve to the latter that accentuates the litheness with which Ashton has imbued this pipe. The piece is dressed in their Old Church finish, featuring a rustic tanblast sure to beautifully patinate with age, a band of silver at the junction offering contrast.