Ashton Old Church (XX) Sandblasted Lovat with Silver (New)

About this pipe:

Ashton is an English pipe brand, one originally created by William Ashton Taylor. Taylor worked at Dunhill from an early age, becoming one of the company’s most accomplished pipe makers. But Taylor was also one of a number of craftsmen and women who who left Dunhill in the 1970s and 1980s, hoping to create something of their own. After experimenting with a couple of different projects, Taylor ultimately founded Ashton, a workshop for high-end, handmade pipes staffed by himself and other industry veterans like Frank Lincoln and Sid Cooper. Later, Taylor’s team were joined by another Dunhill alumnus, Jimmy Craig, who would take over the running of the workshop after Taylor’s sudden passing in 2009. Along with other workshops, such as Ferndown and James Upshall, Ashton would play a decisive role in the emergence of a new English high-grades scene in the late 20th century and beyond.

The Old Church was Bill Taylor’s version of a classic motif in English pipes, one which had been pioneered by Dunhill, Taylor’s former employer. That motif is the natural sandblast, a near-virgin relief finish that, over time, takes on a golden patina the more it’s put to use.

Much like the early Tanshell, Taylor’s Old Church pipes were specially oil cured prior to being finished, only this time using a special technique patented by Taylor himself. Since Taylor’s passing, the Craig family have continued to make Ashton’s Old Church pipes just as Bill intended them, preserving the line’s signature look and feel for the next generation of pipe smokers.

This one takes the form of a classic English Lovat, with svelte, lightweight proportions, a cross-cut, bird’s-eye blast, and a sterling silver collar turned by Craig—a master silversmith in addition to his skills with briar and ebonite.

Details:

Length: 5.92″ / 150.3mm

Chamber Width: 0.76″ / 19.30mm

Chamber Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Bowl Height: 1.78″ / 45.21mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g