Question About Ashton Pipes...

[misterlowercase]

I love Ashtons.
But I only own one, a 2013 XX lovat.
Until now that is,

got lucky with this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221483407760

...I think it was a good price and it looks in good nick, maybe I'll have to do a bit of button resto,

but overall it looks grand to my eyes.
...and it's an X,

I like smaller pipes and the X size seems less common for Ashtons.
Stamped 11 would make it 1991 right?
Anyway,

my question comes about from rereading an issue of P&T from Fall 1996 which has an Ashton article.
The article states that Ashton is a 2 man operation,

the other man being Jimmy Craig I reckon?
In the article, Bill Taylor is at McCranie's for a pipemaking demonstration, complete with his factory workbench he had sent over for the event.
The article talks about how he is personalizing pipes with a stamp for customers that brought their Ashtons with them and wanted the special stamp...
...at one point Taylor pauses to stamp a pipe for a collector and says while smiling, "Oh yes, this was one of my pipes."
"But how can you tell your pipe from another carver's pipe at Ashton?" one onlooker queries.
"Oh, little things I do in the process make my pipes slightly different from other Ashtons." he says, smiling again.
...I had always thought that if it was an earlier Ashton that it'd be made by Bill Taylor, but it would seem that Jimmy Craig was already making pipes at that time too, yes?
:

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Not sure if this helps:

From its inception the Ashton Pipe Company has never had more than two full time folks, plus a series of part-timers. Skilled pipe makers are a dying breed in the England of today and no one there seems to have the interest to apprentice. It really is no wonder as the trade in pipes is shrinking all the time- the irony being that there are more good hand made pipes being made today than ever before.
To begin with, Bill is an all-rounder; he is familiar with every part of the pipe making process and does it all. The first bowl-turner was Frank Lincoln, also ex-Dunhill and a wonderful man. Frank’s specialty was hand-turning on a lathe which he did for Ashton until health problems caught up with him. He died in 1991. The present bowl-turner is one Sid Cooper, all of seventy-eight (he looks fifty-four). Sid started at the original Hardcastle Pipe Co. (not Parker-Hardcastle, mind) in 1938, and he is a genius at setting up machinery in order to make one-off shapes. He also knows more stories of the English pipe trade than anyone I have ever met.

http://www.rdfield.com/Articles/The%20Ashton%20Pipe%20Story.htm

 

[puffy]

I met Bill Taylor at a pipe show once.He seemed pretty friendly.He spent a good bit of his time talking to folks.I have an Ashton.It smokes really good.I've no idea wheather or not he made it.

 

[dmcmtk]

Troy, great looking pipe!!! Peck, great info from R.D. Field.
Dave

 

[ssjones]

Frank Lincoln worked with Bill in the early days and even made some pipes of his own (Lincoln).
The "11" does date to 1991 and yes, a single X size pipe is a rare Ashton. I can't remember the last time I saw a single X size. Bill seemed to make 90% of his pipes 3X sizes.
Very cool!

 

[misterlowercase]

Good stuff!
Many thanks for the info.
I can't believe I ain't never read that R.D. Field article, wow.
Most interesting to me was reading about the process Bill Taylor developed for the Pebble Grain series, steaming to raise the grain (at first with a cappuccino machine!!!) then carving the un-raised portion, and then sandblasting --- and how it was somewhat inspired by the Radice Sand Grain finish, which was rusticated first then blasted --- good stuff indeed, looking through the RDF Ashton collection gallery at the early Pebble Grains you can really see it, the super gnarl!
I can't wait to have the Brindle in hand and see how she smokes, the 2013 I have smokes most excellent and has a nice thin bit which I love.
Hopefully I'll have more Ashtons in the future!

 

[daveinlax]

I know some collectors think Lincoln was the best Ashton carver and can spot his pipes from a mile. 8O

 

[misterlowercase]

Again, thanks for all this info.
For some reason I had thought that Taylor was a one man operation, good to know the story more fully.
One often sees Ashtons advertised as "Bill Taylor" as if he was the sole maker, so I guess "Taylor-era" is a better way to say it.
What about Jimmy Craig, how many people work with him?

I know his son does,

anyone else?
Here's a bit of additional info to supplement the RDF article,

http://www.pipes.org/BURST/FORMATTED/187.025.html

One of the major problems in producing quality pipes, expecially

those that are as carefully produced as the Ashton line, is in the

availability of highly skilled craftsmen to create the line. When

Bill went out on his own in 1984 he was depending on his skill and

experience to produce the pipes that carry his trademark. However,

the demand of his line quickly exceeded any capacity that he alone

could produce and additional craftsmen were needed to increase

production. Currently the Ashton pipe is produced by the joint

effort of Jeffrey Mills (stems), Mrs. Y. Mills (finishing), Frank

Lincoln (total pipe maker - all facets), Sid Cooper (bowl turning,

with 50+ years experience) and of course Bill Taylor, who is a total

pipe maker with over 28 years experience.
Within this family, each has a primary skill, however all are able

to work all of the phases and as a rule, each will work on each

Ashton pipe. What this means is that the creation of an Ashton pipe

is not just the work of one skilled craftsman, but a joint effort of

all. This joint effort allows each craftsman to take pride in the

finished product with each knowing that his skill is a part of the

final results.

&

The number of workers in the Ashton factory was decreased in 1989

with the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Mills. Although it was not

mentioned in the main article, Mr. Taylor also works in the

production of Ashton pipes as both as Ashton pipe finisher (stain &

wax) and the company office manager. As of 1993, Bill's son (Spence)

has become a full time employee of Ashton pipes.

:puffpipe:

 

[ssjones]

Jimmy Craig is very tight lipped about his operation of Ashton Pipes. I had a chance to meet and speak to him at the Richmond show last year, but he wasn't very chatty on that day. (long travel, who knows) I wonder what happened to Bills son, Spence?

 

[cigrmaster]

Call me crazy, but for my tastes Ashton pipes were one of the worst experiences I had with a British pipe. I bought a XXX Dublin that was so pretty, but it smoked wet as all get out and the stem was incredibly uncomfortable. The button on the stem was really small making clenching a bitch and the Ashtonite stem material was as hard as a rock. I sold the pipe and will never buy another Ashton.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

So are you saying that Ashtons are not the pipe of choice for old men with sensitive tiny teeth and purty little mouths?

 

[cigrmaster]

You sure got a purdy mouth boy.
What movie is that from?
Yes I like a soft stem and a pipe that does not smoke wet.

 

[ssjones]

I can only add that "this here river don't go anywhere near Aintry".....

 

[cigrmaster]

Al got the reference, Deliverance is the movie I was quoting.
peck, just wait till you reach my age, you are going to have to replace all of your hard as rocks acrylic stems for the nice soft vulcanite.

 

[ssjones]

I forgot that he was getting ready to smoke a pipe in this scene...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlUcUfHkdYk

 

[docwatson]

Many collectors/smokers certainly have their own personal views regarding Ashton PIpes and how they are made and smoke. Being one of those collectors/smokers I can personally say that when the day comes that I have to part with my pipes for any reason whatsoever the Ashtons will be the last to go. I love Charatan's, Castello's, Dunhill's, and many other fine pipes of which I own many. My Ashton's are the finest smoking machines in my stable. There can be a bad apple in any basket so I wouldn't judge just one pipe and declare that this particular maker isn't for me without giving them a fair shake. That's just me, each to his own here.

As far as how to determine which Ashton pipe was made by Bill, Sid, or Frank, you would certainly have to ask Bill and unfortunately he has left us way too soon.

It's definitely my own opinion but Ashton is the finest British pipe being made today and the finest British pipe made since 1983 when Wm. Ashton Taylor began making pipes in his name.

 

[cigrmaster]

Doc, you are right, I shouldn't judge one pipe and write off the whole company. I was just pissed that it looked so good and didn't smoke as good as it looked. If they did use Vulcanite I would maybe try one again, but I am so used to the soft stuff now that I doubt I could go back to acrylic. My one Castello is a great smoker, but I just don't reach for it as often as I should because of the stem.