Dunhill 2002 Collector Bruyere Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe manufacturer, and continues to produce some of the most treasured pipes a smoker can buy.

Debuting in 1978, the Collector series was one of Dunhill’s responses to the explosion in popularity and demand for freehand pipes in the preceding two decades. Given that Dunhill faced stiff competition both from abroad, in the Danish freehand scene, and at home, thanks to Charatan and GBD, the Collector had to be something quite special. Luckily for Dunhill, they were, and indeed still are today. Hand-turned in a variety of shapes and styles, these pipes have been among Dunhill’s most coveted in recent memory, thanks to their stellar graining, highly limited production, and hefty price tag. This particular Collector is even more distinguished, however, as it is an incredibly rare example of a Collector Bruyere. Since its inception, the Collector series has predominantly worn Dunhill’s blonde, Root Briar finish, yet for what appears to have been a small window between the late 1990s and the 2010s, Dunhill also produced a small number of Bruyere variants—which, as is quite clear in this instance, melds beautifully with flame grain patterns. As for shaping, this one leans closer to the early Danish school in form and finish, taking the form of a large, yet wonderfully elegant pickaxe design. I’m reminded a little, for example, of the milieu around Suhr’s Pibemageri in the 1950s, especially the pipes of Poul Rasmussen and Sven Knudsen.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original box and sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 2.09″ / 53.08mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 66g