Dunhill: Ruby Bark (5133) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

The "33" is Dunhill's take on the classic bent Brandy shape. While most of the English marque's standard shapes remain quite consistent in design, the "33" can vary slightly in its bowl's taper and the heel being either rounded or flattened. This particular example features a slightly cylindrical bowl shape, still complete with a sleek taper to the rim and a flattened heel for stable sitting. Presented here in Group 5 size, the bowl is substantial in hand and generous of chamber, while the quarter bend balances it out well when smoked hands free.

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 reimagined 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.