Dunhill: Shell Briar (5203) (2019) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's raised "windshield" rim is often associated with the English marque's "12" Stack, with the purpose of protecting the bowl's ember from the wind. The style hearkens back to a design that Alfred Dunhill marketed to automobile drivers, and it is found here adorning this "03" Billiard. Besides the rim, the Group 5 bowl possesses some thick, muscular proportions that are balanced in profile by the low-set, rounded shank. A saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite tops off the design and continues the sleek, elegant lines started by the shank. The stummel wears the dark Shell Briar sandblast, which draws out neat stacks of growth rings on all sides of the bowl.

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.