Dunhill: Shell Briar Quaint Acorn (3) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

The White Spot's Quaint series present some of the English workshop's most unique and individual pipes. Deviating from Dunhill's standard shape numbers, Quaint pipes offer individual designs not seen across the marque's serialized, regular-production shape chart. This Acorn is an especially dramatic departure from Dunhill's typical, archetypal fare: The shank takes visual precedence as it flares substantially into the stem base, while the pertly rounded bowl sits perched and canted slightly forward at the end. A evocative and avant-garde piece for Dunhill, this Acorn is among the historic English brand's more inventive designs.

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.