English Estates: Dunhill Shell Briar (4112) (2014) Tobacco Pipe

The "12" Stack from Dunhill is an old shape: In an earlier form it was the basis of one of the "windshield" pipe designs that Alfred Dunhill himself once marketed as ideal for automobile drivers. This Group 4 is a more traditional rendition of the shape, adding a bit of stoutness as well as an overall increase in scale and chamber to the form when compared to Group 2 and 3 versions. The shank and stem here are sleek and low-lying, keeping the aft end extremely slender and placing most of the visual weight at the bowl, the stummel here dressed in the inky Shell Briar sandblast, matching well with the black stem.

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.