English Estates: Dunhill Tanshell (256) (2) (T) (1964) Tobacco Pipe

Dated to 1964, this Group 2-sized "256" Apple from Dunhill features a lean, lightweight physique, allowing this piece to be comfortably clenched between the teeth or held in the hand. Pert and plump, the bowl's figure contours naturally to the hand, formed by supple walls curving from the rounded heel toward the flat rim. A slender shank emerges from the bowl out back and meets a saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite, the pair keeping the profile sleek and streamlined. Courtesy of Dunhill's Tanshell finish, the stummel wears a warm, earthy sandblast that reveals fine growth rings across the briar.

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.