Dunhill 1972 Bruyere 252 Smooth Billiard w/ Silver 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.

Dunhill pipes are special. This is something that the Alfred Dunhill company has tirelessly worked to make known over the last 120 or so years, whether through poaching the greatest talents of the day, aggressively safeguarding its manufacturing techniques and other intellectual property, and, of course, by producing consistently excellent pipes. But, as the idiom goes, some Dunhills are more special than others. Some hold historic significance or especial provenance, some are of unconventional or rare design, and so on, contributing to their greater value in the present. In terms of pipes that are extra special both in the context of when they were first manufactured and in contemporary collectors’ circles, one notable example would be Dunhills that were mounted with precious metals, such as sterling silver or solid gold. Production of such pipes has always been scarce, often being advertised by the company itself as an excellent gift or award for the lucky pipe smoker in one’s life.

This one comes from 1972 and wear’s Dunhill’s founding finish, the Bruyere, whose origins can be traced right the way back to the make’s beginnings. As it’s an early 1970s make, however, the finish is a little lighter than in previous (and subsequent) decades, giving the bowl’s bird’s-eye briar patterns a little more room to breathe. Together with the pipe’s larger stature and thick sterling collar, I’d say it suits the overall design quite nicely.

The condition is good. Slight rim charring, chamber slightly over-reamed, and some minor, residual oxidation on the mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.61″ / 40.89mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g