Ashton

William "Ashton" Taylor worked for Dunhill for twenty-five years, where he began his apprenticeship as a pipe maker at the age of fifteen. In 1983, he had the courage to start his own business, and since then his pipes have found admirers all over the world. Billy, as his friends call him, has maintained the classic style he learned at Dunhill. At first, he did not have any stock of seasoned and well-dried briar. Therefore, he had to find another solution to remove the tannin from the 'young' wood. To this end, the bowls of his pipes are now hardened in boiling oil, which gives them excellent performance and prevents the bitter taste typical of fresh briar. The mouthpieces are made from a compound he invented (Ashtonite), which makes them pleasant to hold in the mouth, softer than methacrylate, but without the unpleasant effect of changing colour. The most popular finish is the twice-sandblasted red and black "Pebble Grain", which has a beautiful, unique feel to the touch. William Taylor passed away in 2009 and Ashton continues its history with Jimmy Craig, already a worker and collaborator of Taylor, following the principles and traditions that have made Ashton great and appreciated all over the world.