Dunhill 1973 Shell Briar ODA Bent Billiard 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.

Around the mid-century, Dunhill formalized their “OD” series into a set of distinct shapes, each with a three-digit shape code. There were pipes that were, with the Anglo-French tradition, of unconventional design; there were pipes that were, for the time, of unconventionally large size; and there were shapes that could be considered a little of both. These shapes have historically been produced in much smaller quantities than most of Dunhill’s other shapes, making them rare and highly sought after. This is an ODA Shell Briar, though it is slightly peculiar in that I don’t note a shape code on it. It is possible that it was buffed off, or that it was one of the ODA shapes in the mid-1970s John Loring spoke about, which were absent a shape code. Those familiar with the post-war OD shapes will likely recognize this one, however. It is quite clearly an 806 rendition, one of Dunhill’s “semi-giants” and something of a middle ground between the shape 120 bent billiard and one of the magnum LC Quaint shapes. With its towering bowl and swan-neck curvature, it’s hard to mistake it for much else in Dunhill’s catalog.

The condition is good. Rim darkening, and a professionally made replacement stem, which was hand-cut from ebonite rod by American artisan Tim Beaumont.

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 2.09″ / 53.08mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g