Askwith: Sandblasted Nosewarmer Billiard with Silver Tobacco Pipe

When Chris Askwith started smoking a pipe in 2006, he needed to restore the estate pipes he purchased. A talented silversmith, Askwith discovered that many of his tools and skills lent themselves well to pipes. So, in 2007, Askwith pipes was born. An English artisan, Askwith draws inspiration from the Anglo-French shape charts, but incorporates modern twists, most notably his detailed finishes and colorful stems.

This Billiard by Askwith pairs a bowl of Group 3 size with a petite shank-and-stem arrangement. The shank joins the bowl at a subtly cheeked transition, pronouncing the supple profile of the classically inclined bowl. The quaint shank features a broad silver band, a glistening flourish and a testament to Askwith's talents as a silversmith. The tapered polyester stem completes the pipe's profile, which measures in at under four inches in length, and it features a sweeping color palette, its yellow, green, and black striations looking much like cross grain. The stummel is dressed in a subtle sandblast, which brings out the condensed growth rings in stunning detail while preserving the vertical grain pattern on the traditional bowl.