Askwith: Sandblasted Morta Freehand Tobacco Pipe

English artisan Chris Askwith began his pipe journey in 2006, when he first started smoking a pipe and realized that the tools he used as a silversmith could be used to repair pipes. In 2007, he met Paul Hubbart, the man behind Larryson pipes, who gave Askwith a chance to make some pipes from scratch. Askwith eventually invested in specialized tooling that allowed him to produce original pipes full-time, and since then, he's become a prominent figure in artisan pipe making.

Askwith is known for his modernized interpretations of shape-chart standards, making this Freehand something of an outlier within his portfolio, though it retains the English artisan's distinguishing trademarks — namely, his colorful stem work and proclivity for alternative materials. Shape-wise, this piece features a large, muscular bowl that's bifurcated by a ridgeline along its horizontal axis. This ridgeline demarcates the rounded rim from the plump, drooping heel, fostering an appearance not unlike that of a clam or oyster shell. Said bowl is posed at the fore of an abbreviated shank that flares into a steeply curved saddle stem of blue and black polyester. The stem's vibrant colors stand at starkly against the stummel's dark hues.

Fashioned from morta, a petrified bog oak prized for its heat resistance, flavor-neutral smoking properties, and handsome grain patterning, the stummel here is quite striking. It's been treated to a crisp sandblast that beautifully highlights the aforementioned grain patterns, which take the fore of nearly uniform striations that ebb from the bowl's fore to the shank's aft. An overall striking composition, this piece is sure to become a welcome addition to any collector's rotation.