I've had some really fine Ashton's lately, but this one takes the cake! Made in 1992 by the late great William "Ashton" Taylor, it is an impressive specimen indeed. Taylor was arguably one of the finest English pipe carvers of all time, and in general with his early pipes especially sought after. He was always on a mission to rival his former employer Dunhill and come up with ways to better his craft. His Sovereign was his version of Dunhill's Root Briar, and here in an ELX designation is truly spectacular. The shape here is incredible, amazingly muscular like a Dunhill 835 on steroids; very close proportionally though if you look at the dimensions! It is certainly ODA size and the bowl could not fit better in hand and sports massive walls with a deep and generous chamber. The transition is actually rather smooth to a robust round shank easily quite a bit bigger than an LB and very well proportioned extending to meet the original hand-cut Ashtonite stem with wide but flat fishtail bit and signature inlaid briar dot logo. The finish reminds me of an early Root Briar and the grain displays layers upon layers of straight and flame grain wrapping 360 degrees with tremendous depth and some cascading birdseye as well! This is a special Ashton made by Bill Taylor 34 years ago, one that is simply not to be missed! Comes with green and gold lettering sock as pictured.

Nomenclature: ASHTON SOVEREIGN, ELX, MADE IN ENGLAND12

Dimensions (approximate): 6 5/8" Long, 2 1/4" Tall, 7/8" Chamber Width, 1 7/8" Chamber Depth

Condition: Excellent. Chamber is clean and sound. Other than a hint of patina to the rim and some dings/scratches commensurate with age, this pipe is near perfect for being 34 years old!

Weight: 76g

Filter: None

**I buy individual pipes or entire collections, please reach out for details! My contact info can be found in my store under the "About" section.

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I aim to offer the best selection of pipes covering all makes and grades, truly something for every smoker and collector! All of my pipes I personally restore, sanitize, and ready them to smoke upon arrival at your doorstep! I take the utmost care in my restoration methods to ensure the pipe is as close to its original state as possible and never compromise. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy bringing them back to life! 

Shipping: 

Domestic is $12 via USPS Priority. 

International: If you are registered with the Global Shipping Program, the cost for pipes under $500 in value is $10 to ship to eBay's shipping center and then the customs fees/tariffs are calculated there and up to the buyer if they are charged up front or on the back end once processed. Due to an almost 25% increase for Express and Priority Shipping, I am switching back to First Class for $25 moving forward to all international destinations. Express or Priority is available upon request, as is insurance. Any lost parcels will be refunded upon insurance payout.

Restoration Methods: I have been restoring pipes for 17 years and have taken bits and pieces from many guys whom I consider the best there ever was in the business and built upon it with my own experience and tricks of the trade. Each pipe is first cleaned by removing all cake, making the chamber smooth and round again if necessary, removing all gunk in the shank and stem with alcohol, then exterior cleaning and polishing of the stummel and stem with no oxidation left but at the same time leaving the vulcanite or acrylic and any logos intact. My restorations end with the pipe looking like new and being completely free from previous signs of use. I do not use salt/alcohol treatments in my bowls but rather if the pipe smells of prior tobacco I will put it in my ozone chamber to make neutral. Lastly, many guys ask me "how are your pipes so shiny!!??" I lightly use the fluffy edge of my white diamond buffing wheel to clean and restore stummels which removes all grime and oils while restoring the original factory luster. I then hand buff and finish with a flannel wheel with high quality carnauba applying multiple coats as they do at the factory as well. This results in the pipe looking as new and will keep it's finish with a simple terry cloth hand buffing at home. Enjoy!

-Deadmanspipes