Dunhill: Shell Briar (5128) (2013) Tobacco Pipe

The Author isn't nearly as common a shape as it once was, and, as a general rule, the oval-shanked Diplomat variant is even rarer. With Dunhill, however, that gets reversed — while the "28" Diplomat, seen here, certainly isn't common, the "29" Author is very rare indeed. The latter doesn't even appear on their commonly available shape charts, in fact. While I couldn't explain why this is the case, there is the silver lining that fans of the classic Diplomat do still have one marque to go to. This rendition is offered in bold Group 5 dimensions and is wearing the iconic Shell Briar finish.

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.