Askwith: Sandblasted Bulldog with Black Palm Tobacco Pipe

Artisan pipe maker Chris Askwith modernizes traditional shape-chart standards with his signature accenting work and use of polyester stems. Such is the case with this Bulldog, a straightforward and well-balanced take on the classic form. Up front, a plump bowl stands atop a firm heel and grows thick walls that flare to a broad, beadline-wrapped waist. From there, the walls take on an arcing taper that rounds out the upper bowl and culminates in a flat rim that oversees a modest tobacco chamber. A wide transition follows the bowl and marks the start of a rigid diamond shank that reaches out and joins a slender tapered stem at a junction accented with black palm. The vibrant hues of the accent and mouthpiece stand out starkly in profile, drawing the eye to the pipe's aft and contrasting the stummel's more conservative complexion. Said stummel wears a crisp sandblast and a traditional stain, both of which work in concert to highlight impressive grain across the briar's surface.