English Estates: Dunhill Tanshell (12-8) (EC) (F/T) (4) (T) (1962) Tobacco Pipe

Dated to 1962, this vintage Group 4 Canadian from Dunhill boasts a lean, lightweight physique while still retaining the form's elongated proportions. Formed by straight walls, the bowl stands pert and upright, its slim figure fitting comfortably in the hand. Out back, a protracted oval shank transitions from the bowl and joins to an abbreviated tapered stem, the pair creating a sleek profile. Dunhill's Tanshell finish dresses the stummel in a warm, earthy sandblast that reveals radiating growth ring patterns across both flanks.

Created in 1951, the Tanshell marked Dunhill's fourth finish behind the Bruyere (1910), Shell Briar (1917), and Root Briar (1931); however, Dunhill didn't complete the "Tanshell" stamp until December 1951, waiting until 1952 to actually introduce the first Tanshell pipes. Considered one of the English marque's rarest, most collectible finishes, the Tanshell boasts a concise sandblast but unlike the dark-stained Shell Briar, the Tanshell is naturally stained, intended to develop a warm patina as it darkens with prolonged use over time.