Dunhill: Ring Grain (6102) (2021) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's largest standard size designation, Group 6, presents a bowl and chamber of house pipe dimensions, here represented in the English marque's iconic "02" bent Billiard. Such a Group size thrusts the majority of the visual weight forward toward the bowl — the shank and stem gracefully arcing in an elegant flow that contrasts the bowl's firmness but completes a gestural undercurve in concert with the sweeping heel. A substantial briar in hand, this piece epitomizes Dunhill's classic shaping style but in decidedly bold proportions. It's dressed in the extra dark stain of the legendary marque's Shell Briar sandblast, revealing grain striking enough to be deserving of the coveted Ring Grain designation.

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.