English Estates: Dunhill Cumberland (3303) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

Being of Group 3 size, this "03" from Dunhill is quite nearly an archetypal Billiard in shape. The only thing stopping it from being so is its elongated taper that brings the pipe's overall length a bit beyond what are classic Billiard ratios. It possesses a pert, upright bowl with just the slightest curvature to its walls perched at the fore of a shank whose length is in proportional balance with the bowl. The excellent execution of the sandblasted finish makes for a scintillating texture beneath the fingers, with a smart contrast in texture provided by the smooth rim and the flat nomenclature panel along the bottom of the stummel. As is typical of the Cumberland series, the stummel's earthy colored staining pairs beautifully with the black and reddish-brown brindled pattern of the stem.

When Alfred Dunhill released his patented Shell Briar, he forever changed the pipe smoking world at large. Dunhill has often been credited with being the first to offer sandblasted pipes (arguably the most popular finish today), and the Cumberland finish further displayed Dunhill's innovative spirit. Well received after its release in 1979, the Cumberland series was named for the English marque's warehouse on Cumberland road, and the line's signature, brindled vulcanite stem became so iconic, the warmly striated material is now referred to simply as "cumberland."