Dunhill: Ring Grain (5103) (2015) Tobacco Pipe

Offered in robust Group 5 dimensions, this "03" straight Billiard from Dunhill is one of the most iconic shapes on the classic pipe chart, and fittingly rendered here by The White Spot — the English marque having both mastered the shape and been instrumental in proliferating it around the world. The bowl is tall and capaciously chambered, standing proudly atop a firmly rounded heel and displaying a subtle forward cant which pushes it into further prominence. Dressed here in the dark sandblast of the Shell Briar finish, the stummel here showcases grain lovely enough to have earned Dunhill's esteemed Ring Grain grading.

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.