Sandblasted Rhodesian (2026) Tobacco Pipe

Chris Askwith started smoking pipes in 2006 and soon after began restoring estate pipes and attending meetings of the UK's South West Pipe Club. There he met Paul Hubartt of Larrysson Pipes, whose tools Chris used to make his first Askwith pipes before investing in his own tools and a home workshop. Chris still makes his pipes in his home of Plymouth, England. In addition to briar, Chris often uses morta, or oak that has fallen into peat bogs and been preserved over time. He also handcrafts colorful stems from a wide variety of materials, including polyester, horn, and cumberland.

Chris went with briar for this Rhodesian, but it is nonetheless extraordinary in its shaping, fronted as it is by a bowl of nearly parallel walls underneath the beadlines. The effect is remarkable, giving this piece an appearance near that of a bent Dublin — at least below the beadlines, that is. Ring grain and birdseye decorate the sandblasted stummel and combine well with the light auburn stain. Behind the muscular, upturned shank, Chris finished this piece with a tapered stem of swirling polyester that is black, white, and gold in color and bends lightly back to the bit. All told, this is a great work by Chris that showcases his mastery over briar as a pipe-making medium.