English Estates: Dunhill Ruby Bark (3903) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

A Billiard of nosewarmer length, this "03" from Dunhill is full of charm, with the Group 3-sized bowl generously chambered, despite its compact size. Displaying a smooth, ruby-tinged chamfered rim, the remainder of the stummel wears the esteemed Ruby Bark sandblast, providing a great textural presence as well as being quite easy on the eyes. A dazzling accent band of silver adds further intrigue and is complemented by the abbreviated, jet-black stem. This Billiard is certainly pocket friendly and presents a handsome color palette.

Dunhill's Ruby Bark finish is one that's gone through a fairly extensive evolution since its inception in 1972. It began as the Redbark and has always remained a red-stained sandblast, but the color was brightened a few years after its introduction before Dunhill returned to the original, darker hue in 1976. Eventually, though, the Redbark was discontinued in 1987. After a hiatus of several decades, the same ruby-stained sandblast was reimagined in the form of today's Ruby Bark finish, adding to the rich aesthetic crisp accents of sterling silver for a colorful presentation that still retains a high level of formality.