Dunhill: Ruby Bark (2102) (2021) Tobacco Pipe

The bent Billiard is regarded as one of the most popular and traditional pipe shapes, and Dunhill's "02" rendition defines much of what people expect of the design regarding overall style and proportion standards. Nowhere is that best represented than in the marque's Group 3 size, presenting perfectly balanced and convenient proportions — the bowl large enough to house a respectable chamber, yet not too robust so as to throw off the balance afforded by the bent shank-and-stem combination. This Ruby Bark example further elevates the archetype as one of Dunhill's rarer finishes and the perfect testimony to marque's classic English style.

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 re-imagined 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.