Dunhill: Shell Briar (5120) (2021) Tobacco Pipe

Much like Dunhill's "22" Poker, the English marque's "20" design features a sure-sitting, cylindrical bowl up front, but features a bent stem, thus making it a Cherrywood. The Cherrywood boasts the same solid sitting capabilities but with the weight distribution of a bent pipe — not to mention that the downturned stem softens the profile a touch in relation to the stoic, stout-walled, Group 5 bowl up front. Said bowl exhibits a good bit of forward cant thanks to its angled base, while the rim is slightly rounded for a subtle, yet charming accenting touch and is handsomely finished in the crisp sandblast and black stain of the Shell Briar finish.

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.