Ashton: Oak Bent Billiard with Silver (ELX) Tobacco Pipe

William Ashton-Taylor began his pipe-making studies at a mere fifteen years of age as an assistant in Dunhill's workshop. He demonstrated great interest in and talent for the craft, which led him to move up through the ranks before he eventually left to start his own company, Ashton, in 1983. At over seven inches long, this bent Billiard from Ashton lives up to its ELX designation, the English marque's largest outside of their Magnum series. It boasts a capacious chamber that is almost an inch wide and two-and-a-half inches deep, perfect for those who prefer long smoking sessions to unwind. A stern, palm-filling heel protrudes beneath the shank. From this heel, the walls follow a subtle taper into the thick rim. The shank lifts out of an acute transition into a silver accent at its aft. The brown- and black-brindled stem bends sharply for a comfortable jaw-hanging posture, and its colors provide a smoky complement to those of the stummel. This pipe's stummel wears a smooth finish stained a rich, dark walnut hue to spotlight a wealth of stunning grain throughout.