Dunhill 1967 Shell Briar R Sandblasted Pot 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.

Debuting at the end of the 1920s, Dunhill’s “R” pot was one of its Quaint shapes, i.e., pipes not as regularly produced as standard shapes, being instead subject to how well suited a given briar block was. My favorite description comes from Pipedia, where an editor writes that “[o]ccasionally a piece of briar is just asking to be carved into a shape which is not in the standard list. The general term for such pipe shapes is ‘Quaint’.” Needless to say, shapes like the R were pricier than Dunhill’s standard shapes, costing 20-33% more than the latter, depending on the finish. The shape itself is an exceptionally wide English pot, fittingly well suited for ribbons and mixture cuts, while also being a veritable featherweight, making for easy clenching. As this particular R is a 1967 make, it will also have been oil cured prior to sandblasting, giving it the especially craggy appearance it exhibits.

The condition is very good. Some slight rim charring and very minor finish fading, but nevertheless remarkably well preserved, as evinced by its crisp blast.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.45″ / 36.83mm

Weight: 1.0oz / 30g