Ashton Sovereign Bent Billiard Addition/Restoration

By Al Jones

I’m not adding many pipes to my personal collection these days, but British made, small bent billiards always catch my attention. I love Taylor era Ashtons, particularly in the XX size (43 grams!) The Sovereign grade/finish is also a favorite. This one also had a somewhat rare tapered stem that I prefer. The has the date code stamp of 12 shows the pipe was made in 1992 (1980 + 12). Also as a bonus, the pipe is drilled perfectly and easily passes a cleaner (not always a given for Taylor era Ashtons).

The finish was faded, but nomenclature sharp. The top had some very heavy build-up, that I hoped was not scorching. The stem was lightly oxidized, with no teeth indentions. Unpacking the pipe, the restoration appeared promising. Below is the pipe as it was received.

I removed the build-up on the bowl top with a piece of Scotch-Brite and water. Gratefully, once removed,there was no damage other than a faded stain. I used White Diamond to freshen the finish followed by several coats of Carnuba wax.

I removed the very slight cake with my PIpenet reamer set,and soaked the bowl with sea salt and alcohol. Following the soak, the stem was mounted and oxidation removed with White Diamond and Meguiars Plastic Polish.

Below is the finished pipe that I am very pleased to add to my collection. I also include a picture of my small Bent Billiards that are in my collection.