Dunhill: Shell Briar with Silver (5101) (2020) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's "01" is the archetypal Apple shape, an outline whose most distinguished feature is its plump, curvaceous bowl. This particular iteration of the shape is a Group 5 piece with a good deal more robustness about its build than is average, though it still maintains a handy, convenient size to make it an ideal companion at all times. The transition is wide here and leaves plenty of room to drape a digit, giving way to a straight, cylindrical shank met by a sleekly tapering stem of jet-black acrylic. A defined forward cant lends the bowl a sense of dynamism while accentuating its contours, the added substance of the pipe's Group size giving the stummel more room to showcase the rich, inky sandblast of the Shell Briar finish, contrasted well by a band of silver at the junction.

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.