English Estates: Dunhill Bruyere (776) (F/T) (4) (A) (1967) Tobacco Pipe

This is something of a rare shape from Dunhill: the "776" Calabash, a pipe we've seen only once before. This particular shape is one that I quite enjoy, specifically because of its languid sinuousness and graceful flow of line from the button to the rim: its fluid design comprising a gently ebbing S-curve. The stem is a demurely downturned saddle of black vulcanite that meets a lifted shank which pushes out from a wide transition, leaving plenty of room to drape a digit and rising into the softly flaring bowl. Said bowl sits, charmingly forward canting, atop a sweeping heel, its ample curvature making for a comfortable feel in hand. Dressed in the deep auburn hues of The White Spot's Bruyere finish, this piece showcases some impressive grain, with birdseye peppering the bowl's flanks as cross grain wraps through the midsection, making this vintage pipe from 1967 all the more tempting.

The Bruyere was Alfred Dunhill's original finish upon launching his brand of premium pipes and smoking accessories and was the only Dunhill finish from 1910 until 1917. Even after the addition of other finishes, the Bruyere maintained a high level of popularity, becoming synonymous with what is thought of, even today, as the quintessential pipe. To achieve the iconic, ruby hue and saturation, a skilled craftsman painstakingly layers particular stains in a precise manner, then meticulously polishes the pipe to a high luster. The final result is, simply put, timeless.