Askwith: Rusticated Tomato Tobacco Pipe

One of England's few artisan pipe makers, Chris Askwith consistently displays a marked talent for crafting classic shapes and reserved designs. That being said, he is equally at home with pipes of a more dramatic, dynamic nature, evidenced by this Tomato, something which we have seen before, though never rendered in this particular way, with an incredibly squat build that leaves it at less than an inch and a half tall. The result of this vertical compression is a bowl with an incredibly wide breadth, coming to us at over two inches in diameter and holding a shallow, though broad chamber with immensely thick insulating walls. The transition here is deeply cheeked, serving to accentuate the plumpness of the bowl and leading to a trim shank possessed of a consistent taper that runs to the button, giving the aft end of this piece a striking degree of sleekness. In addition, we see that the bowl features a very subtle forward cant, angling its mid-set waistline diagonally, and contributing to a forward momentum as well. This works in concert with its flatter build and svelte shank and stem to imbue the pipe with a compelling aerodynamic look, something that, through its vibrant stem of yellow, black, and red hues, gives me the impression of a meteorite hurtling through the atmosphere. A black stain and textured rustication dress the briar here, giving the hands plenty of intriguing surface to appreciate and allowing the stem to stand out even more amidst the darkness of the stummel.