Dunhill: Shell Briar (3406) (2016) Tobacco Pipe

Typically Dunhill's "06" Pot is fitted to a straight stem, but in this Group 3 piece, the bowl cants ever-so-slightly forward on the end of an elegant, Prince-like bend — the shank remaining straight but extending into a tapered stem with a subtle downward turn. That said, while the silhouette's gesture is lithe and demure, the proportions remain true to the archetypal Pot, marked by robust muscularity through the shank and bowl with this example dressed in the Shell Briar sandblast for further rugged appeal.

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.