Dunhill: Ruby Bark with Silver (3217) (2019) Tobacco Pipe

In Group 3 size, this handsome Bulldog from Dunhill boasts the robust muscularity of the shape in a more compact size, coming in under five inches in length. Featuring a prominent ridgeline and a sturdy transition, the bowl is slightly shorter than normal, yet perfectly balanced, proportionally, by the diamond shank. With a jet-black saddle stem perfectly complementing the crisp, vibrant sandblast of the Ruby bark sandblast, this piece is lent an additional touch of elegance thanks to a band of silver at the junction.

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.