Dunhill: Ring Grain (3113) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

This "13" bent Apple by Dunhill features one of the marque's rarer stem arrangements; a deeply-bent, tapered vulcanite stem joins to a faux military mount, which surrounds a traditional briar mortise. The stem-shank combination serves to lessen the amount of briar on the shank, placing emphasis on the bowl which receives Dunhill's superb "Ring Grain" stamp.

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.