Askwith: Sandblasted Morta Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Chris Askwith modernizes shape-chart standards through an eclectic approach to shaping, alternative materials, and vibrant polyester stems. His designs are always eye-catching and expertly balanced, as this straight Dublin can attest. The overall length here is quite compact, measuring in under five inches from bowl to bit, making it perfect for easy pocket carry and on--the-go smoking, especially considering its light weight. Though possessing a flared, softly inflated rim, the dollop of bowl is distinctively rounder than typically seen from the Dublin shape. Said bowl cants forward at the fore, lending the composition an implied sense of momentum that's compounded by the arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement that trails out back.

Askwith has a penchant for utilizing morta, a petrified bog oak cherished for its heat-resistance and the mesmerizing grain patterns it takes on after being sandblasted, and it's easy to see why when looking at the stummel of this piece. The dark sandblast draws out perfectly neat striations across the surface of the morta that capture the eye and lend a rich visual texture to the design. The tapered stem of blue and yellow polyester tops off the piece and adds a pop of modernist color to the otherwise shadowy profile.