Dunhill (1961) Tanshell LB Sandblasted Billiard (Estate)

About this pipe:

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.

After the Bruyere, the Shell Briar, and the Root Briar, the Tanshell was Dunhill’s fourth line of pipes, first introduced all the way back at the beginning of the 1950s. Leveraging the immense success of the Shell Briar, the Tanshell was, as the name suggests, distinguished by its sandblasted finish, though instead of the Shell Briar’s burgundy hues, the Tanshell retained a minimal, and very natural, tan dress. This meant that, over time, a Tanshell’s bowl would color not unlike a meerschaum pipe, with the various residues from the tobacco burned in its chamber seeping into the briar and infusing it with a golden patina.

This one comes from 1961, during what is often considered (if you’ll excuse the pun) a golden age for Dunhill pipes, including the Tanshell. During this period, the latter were turned from dense Sardinian briar and specially oil cured prior to blasting, in order to achieve their signature relief patterns. It takes the form of a rather special shape within Dunhill history, too, that of the “LB,” or “Large Billiard,” a stout take on the Anglo-French staple beloved by collectors and traditionally-inclined artisans alike.

The condition is good. Some inner rim charring, rim darkening, finish fading, and slightly faint (though legible) nomenclature.

Details:

Length: 5.72″ / 145.2mm

Chamber Width: 0.80″ / 20.32mm

Chamber Depth: 1.74″ / 44.19mm

Bowl Height: 1.97″ / 50.03mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 50g