Dunhill: Ring Grain with Silver (4103) (2020) Tobacco Pipe

The White Spot is renowned for its classic shaping and traditional finishes, and the English marque's rare, special-edition pipes are even more highly sought after. In Group 4 size, this "03" Billiard bears a slightly more robust bowl, which suits this Ring Grain rendition, offering more surface on which to showcase the briar's beautifully sandblasted growth rings. Making this pipe even more special are its band of sterling silver and unique, brindled vulcanite stem. Dunhill's use of traditional, red-tinged cumberland is well represented and celebrated across its portfolio, but this particular color comes from special vulcanite rods that the English marque acquired, deciding to showcase the material in a limited run.

Having earned the English marque's prestigious Ring Grain designation, this Dunhill piece wears a particularly choice iteration of the Shell Briar sandblast — displaying stunning waves of ring grain across the stummel. 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.