Dunhill: Ruby Bark (4144) (2021) Tobacco Pipe

Standing out quite sharply amongst Dunhill's quite reserved portfolio, The English marque's "44" and "45 shapes offer a rather modernist take on the classic Poker shape. This "44," lovingly nicknamed the Duke, showcases a cylindrical bowl sat atop a slanted, sure-sitting heel that angles the walls and inflated rim forward, adding a touch of extra dynamism. The shank, rather than being fashioned from briar, is instead a length of curved metal that pushes directly into the side of the bowl in a military-mount style, adding practicality and saving weight. Dressing this rendition of the now iconic shape is The White Spot's vibrant Ruby Bark finish, revealing handsome grain beneath its crisp sandblast and crimson stain, though it forgoes its usual sterling silver accouterment in favor of leaving the push-section of the black stem chrome-colored.

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.