Dunhill 1979 Root Briar 51122 Smooth Stack 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.

During the late 1970s, Dunhill began standardizing its approach to pipe design using a new system, and the fruits of that endeavor persist in the four-digit system Dunhill currently uses today. As fans of modern Dunhill pipes will know, their shape codes are remarkably clear and consistent, as each digit refers to one specific part of a given pipe’s form, such as its group size, the style of the mouthpiece, and the style of the bowl. When the system was first introduced, however, the system was five digits, rather than four, with the last serving to denote a few unusual deviations from the base shape denoted by the previous four. The “51122,” seen here, was a rather large rendition of the make’s flagship stack, or chimney shape, and of all the possible variations on the shape, it is this one that survived into the contemporary, as the “5112.” Despite its persistence, it’s by no means a common shape, even today. Dunhill is famous for its billiards, bulldogs, and apples, and while its stacks are certainly very beautiful, they’re also a little more difficult to acquire, especially relative to other Dunhill shapes. This is even more the case for larger group sizes, like the “5,” as Dunhill pipes tend to be classically inclined as far as proportions go, meaning group 5s or 6s are generally less common than their counterparts in the group 2 to 4 range.

This particular example is a stunning pipe, though that should be quite plain from even a quick look. While its bowl is unusually tall, that hasn’t stopped it from being decked out in bird’s-eye grain, which the pipe’s light, high-end Root Briar finish does well to leave to its own devices.

The condition is good. Minor rim darkening, chamber slightly over-reamed, and a couple of small, superficial scratches on the bowl.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.92″ / 48.76mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g