Askwith: Sandblasted Nosewarmer Billiard with Boxwood Stem Tobacco Pipe

English artisan Chris Askwith is one of few artisan pipe makers in the country, and his personal style often hews close to classic Anglo-French design, with sleek, precise shaping and balanced proportions displayed throughout his portfolio. Chart-standard pipes have remained a constant within Askwith's work, their presence and expert shaping expressing Askwith's deeply held appreciation for the classic shape chart. This Billiard is a fantastic example of that, as it not only weighs well under an ounce, but measures in at under four inches long, making this rendition a powerful contender for designated pocket carry: sure to fit snugly and squarely in any pocket while being primed for comfortable clenching. The bowl blooms out of a rather muscular heel, its walls taking on just a touch of curvature as they cant forward and rise to a flat rim, softening the otherwise solid, stout look of the composition, with the cheeked transition exemplifying this softness before leading into a trim shank. Said shank takes on a very slight taper as it reaches out to meet a sleek, more swiftly tapering stem of pale boxwood, one that's responsible for the majority of the composition's abbreviated length. Dressing this piece is a crisp, deep sandblast that unveils ample texture to appreciate in hand, the unstained briar displaying a windswept pattern of growth rings flowing across the bowl at an angle.