Dunhill: Shell Briar (4109) (2021) Tobacco Pipe

No matter its Group size, Dunhill's "09" Canadian is a lesson in beautiful proportions that scale well no matter the piece's overall size. In fact, the English marque has set the standard for traditional shaping — with other brands and artisan carvers looking to Dunhill for shaping and proportions. Especially noteworthy on this Group 4 example is the strikingly low-profile shank-and-stem combination, its compressed ovoid shape placing a wealth of visual emphasis on the bowl. It's all dressed in the dark sandblast and all-black color palette of the Shell Briar series.

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.