English Estates: Dunhill Root Briar Bent Dublin (DR***) (1991) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

This bent Dublin from Dunhill is fetching example of the English marque's shaping style, presenting a tall, muscular bowl that's set to a sinuously bent shank-and-stem arrangement. The bowl fills the hand with girth and houses a capacious chamber within its stout insulating walls, while the shank-and-stem provides a bit of gesture to the shape's silhouette and promotes a comfortable smoking posture. The striking Root Briar finish dresses the stummel and highlights gorgeous strands of flame across the flanks of the bowl. Unsmoked.

Dunhill's "DR" designation on certain Root Briars signifies a special class of pipes: Dead Root. Like all Root Briars, these pieces maintain flawless briar, but with especially choice grain on display. Before the Root Briar line's introduction in 1931, "DR" was stamped on Bruyere pipes that showed handsome grain, but Dunhill wanted a more grain-defining finish, leading to the creation of the Root Briar. Starting in 1979, The White Spot extended the grade further — replacing the letter grading system with stars, increasing in prestige from one to seven. A Dead Root pipe represents the best of Dunhill's standard selection, yet remains quite rare compared to the English marque's overall lineup.