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

Though occasionally rendered in other Group sizes, I find that Dunhill's "11" Lovat is at its best in Group 3. The proportions are simply spot on and the overall size is generous in hand yet versatile enough to clench or easily stow in a jacket pocket. It's the perfect everyday pipe, especially in the Ruby Bark finish — the ruby-hued sandblast drawing out gorgeous grain throughout the stummel and pairing perfecting with the bright silver accent at the junction.

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.