Dunhill: Ruby Bark (3111) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

Rendered in Group 3 size, this "11" Lovat by Dunhill possesses the shape's classic features in a modest form factor. The bowl stands with a pert, upright posture, with straight wall rising from the heel toward the chamfered rim. Additionally, the stummel's flattened underside accentuates the bowl's posture, allowing this pipe to sit on level surfaces with confidence. Transitioning from the bowl is a proportionally lengthy, round shank that joins to an abbreviated saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite. Dunhill's Ruby Bark finish dresses the stummel in a crisp, richly stained sandblast, complete with a stylish silver accent band adorning the junction for a dose of flash.

Dunhill's Ruby Bark finish is one that's gone through a fairly extensive evolution since its inception in 1972. It began as the Redbark and has always remained a red-stained sandblast, but the color was brightened a few years after its introduction before Dunhill returned to the original, darker hue in 1976. Eventually, though, the Redbark was discontinued in 1987. After a hiatus of several decades, the same ruby-stained sandblast was reimagined in the form of today's Ruby Bark finish, adding to the rich aesthetic crisp accents of sterling silver for a colorful presentation that still retains a high level of formality.