Askwith: Sandblasted Long Shank Squat Dublin Tobacco Pipe

A silversmith by trade, Chris Askwith's journey into pipe making began, as many do, with his own smoking, taking up the pipe in 2006 and using his myriad of tools to restore estate pipes for his own use. In 2007, Askwith joined a pipe club where, by chance, he met Paul Hubartt of Larrysson Pipes, the man who afforded him the chance to make his own smoking instruments using Hubartt's tools. The money he earned from selling these was used to outfit his own workshop with tools better suited to pipe making, and now Chris fashions handmade pipes full-time.

This particular piece is one of the more interesting pieces we've received from Chris, not because of its overtly extravagant shaping, but for its unique combination of features. You'd be forgiven if, at first glance, your first thought was that this was a Pot: Rather, this is a squat Dublin, with a measurable flare from the rounded heel to its inflated, forward-canting rim. Like the Pot, this pipe is more broad than it is tall, and this impressive breadth lends the silhouette a look that's low-set overall and quite sleek. This sleekness is exemplified by the cheeked transition which gives way to a lengthy, round shank, paired here to a gently tapering stem of vibrant orange hues. Coming in at nearly six inches long, this is not a compact pipe by any means, though Chris' expert shaping and keen grasp on compositional balance keep the weight remarkably low. A viable clencher, the stummel of this pipe has been dressed in a crisp, inky sandblast that reveals some handsome grain and offers lively texture in the hand: its vivid stem color lending its palette a wealth of contrast.