Dunhill: Ring Grain (4103) (2019) Tobacco Pipe

One of Dunhill's rarer iterations of their "03" Billiard, this Group 4 offering features a vulcanite military mount at the shank end. The construction adds further durability and break-down ease to the shank and stem junction, while also creating a consistent color palette between the jet-black stem and midnight sandblast. It's an incredibly charming piece, and one that's distinguished by the marque's superlative Ring Grain designation — a less often seen piece from Dunhill that no true collector should pass on.

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.