Askwith: Sandblasted Morta Devil Anse Tobacco Pipe

When I first picked up the box that contained this pipe, I was convinced that it was empty, that is, until I opened it to find this petite gem from English artisan Chris Askwith. At under 20 grams, this Devil Anse is nearly ephemeral in its weight, allowing for easy clenching at any time, despite its straightness, and its length of under four-and-a-half inches allows this Nosewarmer to be easily pocketed. Askwith is no stranger to using morta (semi-fossilized bog oak) in his compositions, and, in fact, uses it more often than I've seen almost any other artisan do so, so it's no surprise that his practiced hands have rendered this shape in both excellent proportions and with all the soft, supple curves that it should have. Speaking of which, the bowl here is simply beautiful in hand, with a high-set waistline that tapers to the rim, with the waist just firm enough for me to see something of an implied ridge around it, keeping the eye drawn to the bowl — something made even easier due to its jaunty forward cant. The transition here is wide and softly cheeked, leading into a trim round shank that's been paired to a polyester stem of marbled baby blue colors, contrasting the inky black stummel starkly and making for a thoroughly contemporary aesthetic. Said stummel's sandblasted surface gives the eye plenty of detail to appreciate, with even striations of grain traveling up the bowl and shank diagonally.