Dunhill: Amber Flame Dublin (DR) (One Flame) (2018) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's more than century of history is showcased in nearly every piece they craft, the English marque producing some of the finest examples of Anglo-French shape chart standards in the pipe world. This particular Dublin is an interesting piece from the White Spot, not being stamped with any shape code as it belongs to their vaunted Amber Flame series. A wide transition marks the start of tapering shank-and-stem combination, the pairing doing well to balance the visual weight of the bowl while still placing more emphasis at the fore. Said bowl stands atop a slightly pronounced heel and supports flaring walls that expand out to a flat rim, its forward canting stature lending this piece a gentle momentum. Dunhill's mastery of proportion is on phenomenal display here, as I was thoroughly convinced that this pipe was a hearty one until holding it, its actual length of just over four and a half inches belied by its excellent sense of scale.

One of Dunhill's more recent finishes, the Amber Root was introduced in 1995. Like the Root Briar, it showcases a smooth stain, accentuating the briar's natural grain in traditional style. Typically auburn-hued, the Amber Root is often a touch darker in color than that of the Root Briar, pairing handsomely with the jet-black stem for an aesthetic that combines the grain definition of the Root Briar finish with the darker, smokier tones of the Bruyere. The Amber Flame designates those pipes dressed in this finish that display superlative grain and, much like the Dead Root, have a secondary grading system: Each pipe is graded with flames which increase in quantity as the quality of the grain revealed becomes even more brilliant.