Askwith: Sandblasted Morta Pickaxe Tobacco Pipe

Few carvers work as often with morta as does Chris Askwith. The English carver has become incredibly adept at working with the dense material, his portfolio perhaps even more populated by morta pipes than those of briar. The dark color palette of morta also works well with Askwith's typically vibrant color schemes by creating a dark canvas which Chris can then enliven with his signature polyester stems and other accenting materials. Plus, when sandblasted, morta exhibits a delightfully unique texture and grain pattern compared to briar, so while the tone is relatively subdued, the texture and visual pattern of Chris' morta pipes remain as intriguing and delightful as their color palettes. Such a personal aesthetic is well represented by this Pickaxe rendition. In silhouette, the form resembles classic briar versions: The slender, Dublin-like bowl, tapering downward beyond the transition and into a pointed heel spur. That angular motif is echoed at the shank with angles upward from the bowl and tapers into the proportionally elongated stem. Compared to some of Askwith's more extroverted pipes — those with pink or blue or technicolor stems — the black-and-white motif of this piece is more reserved but infinitely more classy and elegant, as if the pipe itself is wearing a tuxedo.