Dunhill 1998 Shell Briar Ring Grain 5106 Sandblasted Pot 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 Dunhill’s history with distinctly deep and craggy sandblasts extends all the way back to the invention of sandblasting in the early 20th century, the make’s first explicit designations for superior finishes of this kind emerged in the 1980s. Beginning in 1986, Shell Briar pipes that had especially uniform, horizontal ring grain emerge from the sandblasting process were given a special designation, the “Ring Grain,” and a premium status within Dunhill’s broader catalog. In this instance, we can see the Ring Grain in full effect, not least thanks to the pipe’s rather large size (a group 5, at the higher end of Dunhill’s system) and wide, pot-shaped bowl.

The condition is very good. Some general wear to the rim, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.90 / 22.86mm

Bowl Depth: 1.40″ / 35.56mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g