Dunhill: Shell Briar Giant Billiard with Silver (2022) Tobacco Pipe

This Billiard from Dunhill is an incredibly robust design, boasting proportions that would easily dwarf a Group 6-sized briar. The bowl here is simply massive, boasting thick insulating walls that rise from a muscular heel and conceal a chamber depth over two inches deep. Said bowl is paired to an arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement that ebbs out back and keeps most of the composition's visual weight anchored at the fore. The dark Shell Briar sandblast dresses the stummel and highlights some fetching grain across the bowl's wide flanks, while a sterling silver accent adorns the junction and ties the entire composition together with a dose of flash.

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.