Dunhill: Ruby Bark (3106) (2022) Tobacco Pipe

Dunhill's "06" embodies the archetype of the Pot shape in the traditional pipe chart canon. Classically inclined throughout, it's a vertically compressed rendition, with a broad tobacco chamber, thick chamber walls, and, in this example, a thick, robust stretch of shank and stem that keeps the aft in harmonious proportion with the fore. This Group 3 is a handy size, with the aforementioned shank and stem contributing to a well-balanced profile that keeps the feel in hand hearty, but maintains a reasonably light weight. It's seen here dressed in the marque's iconic Ruby Bark sandblast, revealing handsome grain cascading down the flanks of the bowl.

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.