Ashton 2021 Brindle XXX Sandblasted Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Ashton is an English pipe brand created by William Ashton Taylor, a former Dunhill pipe-maker who left Dunhill in the 1980s to make pipes under his own name. Along with other pipe-makers such as Ken Barnes and Barry Jones of James Upshall and Les Wood of Ferndown, Ashton emerged as part of a new wave of high end, hand made British pipes in the late 20th century.

Perhaps as a nod to Dunhill, Bill Taylor’s former employer, Ashton’s Brindle took its name not from the finish used, but from a stem material. Just as Dunhill had their Cumberland line, Ashton had their Brindle. In fact, Cumberland is a subspecies of brindle, with the latter simply referring to a form of hard rubber with various colors wedded (“brindled”) together during casting. The reddish-brown sandblast finish on Ashton’s Brindle pipes has remained relatively constant across Bill Taylor’s and Jimmy Craig’s stewardship, while during the latter period, Craig has expanded the range of stem colors used, as can be seen in this highly distinct piece.

The condition is very good. Some rim darkening, but nothing major.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.6″ / 40.64mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g