Dunhill 1961 Tanshell ODA 836 Sandblasted Panel Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

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.

This particular Dunhill belongs to the rare and coveted “OD” series. As historian John Loring recounts, post-war OD designs were distinct in either shape or in size from Dunhill’s standard offerings. This ODA 836, for example, was what Dunhills referred to as a “semi-giant”—not quite a magnum, but certainly larger than the pipes in Dunhill’s standard production. But there’s something else that makes this pipe quite special, that being that it is from the 1960s Tanshell line. It would be a mistake to think of the Tanshell as simply a tan-finished equivalent to Dunhill’s signature Shell Briar sandblast line. Instead, the Tanshell was manufactured using novel, secretive processes that would produce a richly textured stummel that would also color over time, not unlike a meerschaum pipe. In the 1960s, this included a patented oil curing method for the stummels, as well as the exclusive use of Sardinian briar, renowned for its distinct response to the blasting process. This one is impressively craggy, with vein-like growth rings snaking around its bowl and shank.

The condition is very good, with a nice patina already beginning to develop. Some darkening and minor wear to the rim, and some finish fading.

 

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.91″ / 48.51mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g