Askwith: Sandblasted Twisted Urchin Tobacco Pipe

English artisan Chris Askwith is known for producing classic Anglo-French shapes, making this "Twisted" Urchin something of an outlier within his portfolio. The Urchi shape is defined by a squat, Tomato-like bowl embellished with carved channels and raised mounds of briar, emulating the spherical and spiny appearance of its namesake. In this interpretation, Askwith has orientated those aforementioned channels and mounds at an angle, explaining the "Twisted" name and fostering a swirling, spiral-like motif throughout the bowl. Additionally, Askwith has stained the bowl's channels a vibrant green and dotted the mounds with silver-hued circles — an aesthetic choice that highlights the bowl's unique shape, without disrupting the composition's otherwise dark color palette. Said palette is complemented by one of Askwith's signature polyester stems, here displaying a mixture of swirling black and gray tones that evoke the look of a churning sea at night. This piece is charming and unique, its eye-catching qualities balanced by a sophisticated aesthetic elegance.