Ashton: Claret Billiard (XX) Tobacco Pipe

Eager to become part of the pipe-making process, Bill Ashton-Taylor started working as an apprentice at Dunhill in 1959 when he was only 15 years old. With a burning passion and a high standard for quality pipe making, he would go on to found the Ashton workshop, whose legacy has been carried on by Jimmy Craig since Bill's passing in 2009. As denoted by its "XX" stamp, this Billiard features a moderate and lightweight build. The fore of the design illustrates classic shaping conventions, as its pert, upright bowl stands proud and upright. The shank is nicely rounded and elongated, keeping the proportions slender as it gives way to an abbreviated saddle stem of black vulcanite. Additionally, the underside of the stummel has been paneled which allows this piece to sit without the aid of a pipe stand. Dressing the stummel is Ashton's rugged Claret sandblast, revealing waves of grain colored by a striking red stain.