Dunhill Red Bark 51033 Sandblasted Army Mount 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.

The Red Bark is one of several discontinued lines within Dunhill’s history, and as such is among the shortest lived. Introduced around 1972, the Red Bark featured a sandblast finish and—as one can imagine—a red stain, in contrast to the dark burgundy of the Shell Briar. Except, depending on the year, the exact hue of this stain could be quite different. When the line debuted, the finish was more of a claret red; as the years progressed, it became a little more pink; 1976, after this change proved to be less popular with customers at the time, the stain was changed again to something closer to that original claret finish (ironically, after the Red Bark was discontinued in 1987, it was replaced with the Ruby Bark, whose stain is not unlike the pinker Red Bark iterations, but which has been far more warmly received). This Red Bark, from 1978, features the resumed claret sandblast finish, as well as a sterling silver army mount. It is also an example of something else no longer in Dunhill’s catalog: a 5-digit shape. A precursor to Dunhill’s contemporary four-digit shape system, the 5-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. Shorter than the 50134 and less plump than the 51031, this 51033 is, quite simply, the quintessential English army mount billiard.

The condition is very good. Some rim darkening and finish fading.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.86 / 21.84mm

Bowl Depth: 1.71″ / 43.43mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g