English Estates: Dunhill Shell (776) (4) (S) (1975) Tobacco Pipe

This is something of a rare shape from Dunhill: the "776" bent Dublin, a pipe we've seen only a handful of times before. This particular shape is one that I quite enjoy, specifically because of its languid sinuousness and graceful flow of line from the button to the rim: its fluid design comprising a gently ebbing S-curve. The stem is a demurely downturned saddle of black vulcanite that meets a lifted shank which pushes out from a wide transition, leaving plenty of room to drape a digit and rising into the softly flaring bowl. Said bowl sits, charmingly forward canting, atop a sweeping heel, its ample curvature making for a comfortable feel in hand. Dressed in Dunhill's Shell Briar sandblast, the stummel offers a wealth of captivating texture and grain

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.