Brindle Bent Billiard with Silver (XXX) (2026) Tobacco Pipe

William "Bill" Ashton-Taylor spent his working life around pipes, starting as a lathe operator with Dunhill at the age of 15 in 1959. He struck out on his own with the Ashton brand, spinning its first pipe in 1983. Bill took immense pride in the process of making Ashton pipes. He traveled to Italy twice a year to buy wood, steeped his turned bowls in a blend of oils before heating them to draw out unwanted sap, and even garnered a British patent for his unique manufacturing process that produced pipes that were much lighter than their competitors. Bill died in 2009, but the Ashton process lives on through disciple Jimmy Craig.

This bent Billiard from Ashton was given their dark Brindle sandblast to draw out the growth rings that decorate the minutely tapered bowl with a slight dash of mahogany. A muscular, upturned round shank backs the bowl up briefly to a wide silver ring that caps the stummel, behind which a saddle-style stem of swirling grey-brown vulcanite finishes the piece with a generous bend back to the bit. Substantial in proportion and beauty alike, it's a great work on the part of Ashton and sure to satisfy fans of fine English pipes.