Dunhill: Ruby Bark (4110) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

On Dunhill's standardized shape chart, the "10" typically denotes a Liverpool, but it can also refer to Bing's Favorite Billiard. The difference between the two shapes is subtle: While the Liverpool consists of a protracted round shank and an abbreviated tapered stem, the Bing's Favorite variant features a longer stem that's more harmoniously balanced with the shank, though the shank-and-stem arrangement, in its entirety, remains slender of build. This particular rendition more closely resembles Bing's Favorite Billiard, and it positions a tall, upright bowl at the fore of a gracile shank-and-stem arrangement for a sleek, streamlined appearance in profile. Even given its Group-4 size, the overall composition remains lightweight and comfortable in hand. It's dressed in here in the distinctive Ruby Bark sandblast, its bright tones complemented by a sterling silver accent.

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.