Shell Briar (2104) (2018) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's "04" straight Bulldog is here rendered in petite Group 2 size, measuring in at just over five inches in length. Such a Group size is rarer from the prestigious English marque, and the shaping is indicative of the White Spot's timelessly traditional style. The bowl wears a demure ridgeline rather than the Bulldog's iconic beadlines, and in this piece, the overall shaping of the bowl is more rounded and Acorn-like, instead of crisply tapered above and below the waist. Such roundness contrasts, then, against the hard lines of the diamond shank and stem.

The Shell Briar's addition to the Dunhill catalog was a pivotal moment in pipesmoking 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.