Dunhill: Root Briar Bent Bulldog with Silver (DR****) (2020) Tobacco Pipe

Bulldog fans, take note: We have never had the pleasure of offering a Dunhill Dead Root Bulldog as highly graded as this one. The star stamps of the Dead Root line are an extension of the grading system that Dunhill uses for their highest-grade pipes, and the most we have ever seen on a Bulldog in either new or estate pipes is two. This superlative rendition features four of those prestigious stamps, placing it in the company of only a handful of other such pipes we have ever offered.

A quite large example of the shape, it stretches to nearly six-and-a-half inches in length and manages a bowl just shorter than two while maintaining the classic bent Bulldog profile. It trades the classic twin beadlines around the waist for a softer ridgeline, pairing a bit of an Apple-like in-hand feel with a muscular, crisply defined diamond shank. A broad silver band demarcates the abbreviated shank with aplomb, setting the stage nicely for a proportionately longer tapered vulcanite stem that continues the diamond shaping as it bends elegantly down to reach the lip button.

Dunhill's "DR" designation on certain Root Briars signifies a special class of pipes: Dead Root. Like all Root Briars, these pieces maintain flawless briar, but with especially choice grain on display. Before the Root Briar line's introduction in 1931, "DR" was stamped on Bruyere pipes that showed handsome grain, but Dunhill wanted a more grain-defining finish, leading to the creation of the Root Briar. Starting in 1979, The White Spot extended the grade further — replacing the letter grading system with stars, increasing in prestige from one to seven. A Dead Root pipe represents the best of Dunhill's standard selection, yet remains quite rare compared to the English marque's overall lineup.