Dunhill: Shell Briar (4127) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

A soft-featured, gestural piece from Dunhill, this "27" is the English marque's Pear shape. In Group 4 size, the slender bowl boasts a subtle taper through its rounded heel, emphasizing its elegant curvature, and while the stummel bears the Shell Briar sandblast, leaving quite a shadowy profile, the rim of the bowl is left smooth, accented by a ruby stain for a stark bit of contrast. Out back, the oval shank-and-stem combination, most reminiscent of a Diplomat, lend sinuous, flattened lines that bolster the stature of the bowl, the stem paired to the shank at a broad military mount of matching black vulcanite. With a sleek, streamlined profile that flows from rim to bit, this is a graceful piece that will make an excellent addition to any pipe smoker's rotation.

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.