Ashton Cigars and Ashton pipes

[lestrout]

There is an entertaining thread which involved an Ashton bar, and the following was written: "The fact that the franchise is supported by a pipe maker, Ashton, is insult to injury." As it turns out, Ashton Cigars and Ashton pipes have no formal commercial linkage. When I jumped back into pipes, I frequented Holt's Cigars in downtown Philly, a fine B&M with some presence in pipes. Since their parent company imported Ashton cigars, I asked why Holt's didn't stock Bill Taylor's Ashton pipes. `
I was told the late Bill Taylor used his own middle name for his fine pipes when he left Dunhill, and that the name for the cigars came from another source.
hp

les

 

[mso489]

Thank you, lestrout. That's good clarification. That was my quote about the franchise, and I see I jumped to conclusions, since many firms do several different products. That makes the experience in the cigar bar a little less stinging, but not much.

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

Good information les. I always wondered how or if there was a connection? I guess I always just assumed there was.

 

[pipestud]

Found this info - http://www.seriouscigars.com/blog/29/ashton-cigar-history_bls/

 

[pitchfork]

From R.D. Field, "THE ASHTON PIPE STORY":

1984 saw the emergence of Ashton as a comer in the high grade pipe market. Very quickly the brand gained a reputation for fine smoking characteristics overall and the deeply sandblasted PebbleGrain finish in particular. Bill believed so much in the brand and what he was able to accomplish that he decided to add Ashton to his surname, and so in that year he became William John Ashton-Taylor. In the same period my friend Robby Levin decided to bring out a new cigar brand and had no idea of what to use for a name. I convinced him, based on the excellent reputation of the Ashton pipe in the U.S., to name his cigar brand Ashton. And so he did.

 

[andrew]

This thread got me like

 

[daveinlax]

I frequented Holt's Cigars in downtown Philly, a fine B&M with some presence in pipes. Since their parent company imported Ashton cigars, I asked why Holt's didn't stock Bill Taylor's Ashton pipes. `

I was told the late Bill Taylor used his own middle name for his fine pipes when he left Dunhill, and that the name for the cigars came from another source.

I love Ashton Cigars, they are my favorites but I thought Bill started the Ashton Cigar brand when the pipes were the hot and I've heard that he sold rights to the Ashton name for everything but the pipes to the Levin's for the cost of the Mercedes for his wife. 8O

 

[mso489]

Wow, I was wondering about litigation. I guess the Mercedes took care of that. What a yarn.

 

[ssjones]

I didn't think there was a business connection, but its good to see the RD field comment.