English Estates: Dunhill Tanshell (6LBS) (4) (T) (1961) Tobacco Pipe

Dated to 1961, before Dunhill had implemented their four-digit shape code, this piece boasts an "LB" stamp, indicating its Billiard shape, while the "6" indicates its saddle stem configuration. In Group 4 size, this piece boasts a muscular in-hand presence, its tall, heavy-set bowl offering a wealth of substance for the fingers to embrace. Dressed in the iconic Tanshell sandblast, the stummel displays gorgeous growth rings across the bowl's 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.