Askwith: Rusticated Bent Pot Tobacco Pipe

English artisan Chris Askwith typically creates finely wrought examples of classic English shapes. Here, however, Chris gives us a dramatic bent Pot rendition that is a clear tribute to Castello's iconic "55" shape. In true Italian neoclassical form, this piece presents a bold, eye-catching silhouette, with a wide, muscular bowl set to a continuously tapering shank-and-stem arrangement. The bowl stands atop a pronounced, forward-surging heel, reminiscent of the iconic "55", while the shank and stem possess a distinctive Hawkbill-like curvature.

Chris didn't settle for a dramatic shape, however. He dressed the stummel in an ink-black rustication for plenty of in-hand stimulation, smoothly polishing the broad, chamfered rim and staining it a dark ruby color for pleasing contrast. Askwith uses unique, hand-detailed polyester stems, and he's topped this particular offering with a stem of muted black and red hues that both unify with the stummel's coloration and provide a pop of bespoke color to the overall form. Chris has made this shape before, but we don't have the pleasure of seeing it often, so if you are a fan of his work and like Italian designs, this will no doubt be a pipe of interest.