Dunhill: Ring Grain with Silver (4106) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill presents a hearty Group 4 "06" Pot in this rendition, with the slightly elongated, arrow-straight shank-and-stem combination adding additional sleekness to the classic form. This piece is also able to sit sturdily thanks to the shank's flattened underside. It's dressed in the marque's crisp, craggy, and elegantly understated Shell Briar sandblast, which has unveiled rippling growth rings around the bowl, the display of grain striking enough to have earned this pipe the Ring Grain designation. Additionally, the junction here is accented with a trim band of silver, lending rich contrast to the composition.

Having earned the English marque's prestigious Ring Grain designation, this Dunhill piece wears a particularly choice iteration of the Shell Briar sandblast — displaying stunning waves of ring grain across the stummel. 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.