English Estates: Dunhill Ring Grain (5103) (2014) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Epitomizing Dunhill's iconic style, this "03" Billiard offers a bold, Group 5-sized bowl and beautifully represents the archetypal pipe-chart standard. The White Spot is revered for its deft execution of line and proportion, and this piece delights in both aspects, the bowl robust yet balanced by the weight of the shank, while each line of shank, stem, and bowl is crisp and stoic. It's dressed in the English marque's historic Shell Briar finish and has earned its prestigious Ring Grain designation.

Having earned the English marque's prestigious Ring Grain designation, this Dunhill piece wears a particularly choice iteration of the Shell Briar sandblast — displaying stunning waves of ring grain across the stummel. 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.