English Estates: Dunhill Christmas Pipe 2017 Shell Briar (67/300) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's long-running The Twelve Days of Christmas series spanned one year for each day of the classic song, setting a record for the marque. To match that, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the latest series of Christmas pipes, is set to also last twelve years. 2017 represented the seventh entry in the new series, with The Shepherd's Dance.

Featuring a book-style leather presentation box, as well as a cast tamper in the style of two shepherd children, the set is a stunning example of the marque's talent. As for the pipe itself, it is a crisp-lined bent Billiard, with a slight spur to its heel, giving it an Acorn-like disposition in profile. Finished in the dark Shell Briar sandblast and accented with sterling silver, it's a piece that is sure to be good all year round. Unsmoked.

The Shell Briar's addition to the Dunhill catalog was a pivotal moment in pipe-smoking history. Before 1917, pipes with sandblasted finishes had never been made, and Alfred Dunhill's innovative mind created arguably the most popular finish for pipes today when he unveiled the Shell Briar. With its dark, reserved color palette and delightful texture, it's no surprise that it's still wildly popular over a century later.