Dunhill 1978 Shell Briar 41032 Army Mount 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.

While the question of “who did it first?” remains contentious, Dunhill was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of sandblasting, securing the first patent for such finishes in 1918. And while many pipe smokers extol the virtues of perfect straight grain, there are just as many who adore the crisp and rich textures of a sandblasted bowl, instead expressing in relief the briar’s natural grain patterns. This Shell Briar from 1978 shows off the craggy, tactile fruits of such endeavors, with its uncommon addition of a sterling silver army mount providing an enjoyable juxtaposition of the rustic and the refined.

It also happens to be a relatively uncommon example of a Dunhill with a five-digit shape code. A precursor to Dunhill’s contemporary four-digit shape system, the five-digit system existed only between the mid-1970s and 1984, with its final digit denoting minor differences, such as different bowl styles—something not offered by Dunhill today.

The condition is fair. Rim darkening, some finish fading, and some handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.62″ / 41.14mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g