Askwith: Weathered Bone Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Chris Askwith's Weathered Bone finish falls under the category of a micro-sandblast, which, frankly, is a pretty small category as far as finish-types go. The defining factor is a sandblast technique that can bring out the micro-structure of the briar, rather than being dedicated to the usual displays of ring grain and blasted birdseye. Few artisans have figured out ways to do this, and at this point I generally just attribute the successes to "wizardry" (which would be no more exotic an explanation than some of the blasting media I've thought of that would make this kind of finish possible). "Weathered Bone", of course, is itself an unusual sort of name for a pipe finish, but it fits: by leaving the briar pale and mixing his micro-blast technique with areas given a more conventional, very light sandblasting, Chris does effectively emulate the look of bone that has been left exposed to the natural elements. Seen here dressing a fairly substantial Billiard and complemented by a stem of striped royal blue and canary yellow polyester, it makes for a stunning presentation.