Dunhill: Ring Grain Quaint Poker with Silver (4) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

Part of the Quaint series, this Group 4 Poker from Dunhill eschews the English marque's shape-chart standard, adding some playful alterations to the design. Like their traditional "22" Poker design, this piece sees a pert, upright bowl standing at the fore upon a flat, sure-sitting heel. This Quaint piece, however, is a bit more squat and possesses a subtly domed rim that softens the profile just a touch. Furthermore, it features the arrow-straight shank of Dunhill's standard Poker, though here it pairs to a downturned tapered stem for a comfortable smoking posture, an aspect seen in Dunhill's "20" Cherrywood design. Dressing the stummel is Dunhill's crisp, inky Shell Briar sandblast, revealing pronounced, tightly-packed growth rings from heel to rim that earn this piece the illustrious Ring Grain designation. Additionally, the junction is adorned with a silver accent band, adding a dose of flash to this pipe's reserved palette.

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.