English Estates: Dunhill Cumberland (4103) (1993) Tobacco Pipe

This Billiard from Dunhill is exemplary of the craftsmanship that made the English marque's pipes famous the world over. Rendered in thoroughly English style, the balanced proportions and subtly muscular shaping on display make this an archetypal example of what a Billiard should be. The round shank transitions smoothly to a tapered stem in Dunhill's timeless cumberland vulcanite, for a sharp yet rugged look. The pipe is solid but quite light, well suited to many smoking postures. The stummel is richly dressed in the Cumberland sandblast, which softly undulates in color, revealing excellent grain orientation that pleases the eye as well as the hand. This piece is a testament to Dunhill's impeccable style and timeless quality and will certainly elevate any smoker's collection.

When Alfred Dunhill released his patented Shell Briar, he forever changed the pipe smoking world at large. Dunhill has often been credited with being the first to offer sandblasted pipes (arguably the most popular finish today), and the Cumberland finish further displayed Dunhill's innovative spirit. Well received after its release in 1979, the Cumberland series was named for the English marque's warehouse on Cumberland road, and the line's signature, brindled vulcanite stem became so iconic, the warmly striated material is now referred to simply as "cumberland."