Askwith: Rusticated Billiard Tobacco Pipe

An artisan pipe maker from Plymouth, English, Chris Askwith has developed a considerable reputation over the years. He's known for modernizing classic English shapes through a mixture of stylish finishes and colorful polyester stems, both aspects of which are showcased with this refined Billiard. Sleek and streamlined, this piece boasts a supple bowl that stands at the fore of an arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement. The bowl's rounded contours conform naturally to the hand, and the transition leaves more than enough room to drape a digit. Like most Askwith pipes, this piece is incredibly well-balanced, with the bowl, shank, and stem each visually aligned within the composition and contributing to a fairly minimalist profile. A dark rustication dresses the stummel and provides a wealth of engaging texture for the fingers to explore, save for the rim, which is smoothly polished and stained a light color for visual and tactile contrast. A tapered stem of rainbow-hued polyester tops everything off and adds a dose of vibrancy to the pipe's otherwise reserved palette.