Dunhill 1979 Tanshell 31071 Sandblasted Prince (Estate)

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.

After the Bruyere, the Shell Briar, and the Root Briar, the Tanshell was Dunhill’s fourth line of pipes, first introduced all the way back at the beginning of the 1950s. Leveraging the immense success of the Shell Briar, the Tanshell was, as the name suggests, distinguished by its sandblasted finish, though instead of the Shell Briar’s burgundy hues, the Tanshell retained a minimal, and very natural, tan dress. This meant that, over time, a Tanshell’s bowl would color not unlike a meerschaum pipe, with the various residues from the tobacco burned in its chamber seeping into the briar and infusing it with a golden patina. This one takes the form of a slight and slender prince and, as one can see, that muscovado tinge has already begun to come through very nicely.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening, chamber slightly over-reamed, and very slight tooth chatter.

Details:

Length: 6.4″ / 162.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.06″ / 26.92mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g