Askwith: Sandblasted Morta Poker with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Chris Askwith has fashioned a good many Poker designs, often pairing the bowls with one of his colorful, polyester stems for a striking color palette. This piece, however, features a stem of genuine horn, hearkening to vintage pipes from historic French and English marques. The English artisan has made quite a name for himself in the artisan pipe world, with his alternative mediums and mixture of modern and classic design styles attracting a loyal following.

This Poker is refined and sophisticated, boasting a more subdued, formal color palette. The stummel is fashioned from morta, a material near and dear to the carver as he uses it often and with great success. The bowl is upright and stout, with a flattened base that allows it to sit quite sturdily. The dark, sandblasted finish covering the bowl and thick, abbreviated shank reveals a delightful display of handsome grain patterns that's unique to the medium, while the beveled rim softens the form a bit. Lending this piece a dress pipe aesthetic is a gleaming metal band at the shank end, while the tapering stem of horn completes the iconic silhouette.