Dunhill: Amber Flame Poker (DR) (One Flame) (2022) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's more than a 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 Poker is an interesting piece from the White Spot, not being stamped with any shape code as it belongs to their vaunted Amber Flame series. Despite being unstamped, the shape here is instantly reminiscent of the brand's "22" shape, with a wide transition and straight shank and stem combination, the transition's slight elevation from the heel affording it an offset look as the lower aft wall extends toward the shank slightly. The bowl here stands atop a flat heel, and it grows cylindrical walls up to a flat rim, the build of the bowl showcasing a slight slant forward for an added sense of dynamism. This piece wears the marque's Amber Root finish, revealing grain stunning enough to have earned it the Amber Flame designation at a grading of one flame, a rare and desirable appellation.

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.