Dunhill: Ruby Bark (5215) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's "15" bent Pot is a classically English take on the pipe chart standard shape, the smooth, bevel-rimmed bowl a touch shorter than a normal Billiard and the chamber surrounded by thick insulating walls. Such a stouter bowl design makes for a more muscular disposition up front and is continued through the heel, transition, and shank; it also results in a chamber of more square dimensions for those who prefer broader chambers, rather than those of deep, slender proportions. Here, the solid form is dressed in the sandblasted Ruby Bark finish, with a junction adorned by a bright silver band.

Dunhill's Ruby Bark finish is one that's gone through a fairly extensive evolution since its inception in 1972. It began as the Redbark and has always remained a red-stained sandblast, but the color was brightened a few years after its introduction before Dunhill returned to the original, darker hue in 1976. Eventually, though, the Redbark was discontinued in 1987. After a hiatus of several decades, the same ruby-stained sandblast was reimagined in the form of today's Ruby Bark finish, adding to the rich aesthetic crisp accents of sterling silver for a colorful presentation that still retains a high level of formality.