Dunhill
Alfred Dunhill Pipes Website This is a work in progress. Please feel free to contribute if you are a Dunhill expert, or knowledgeable enthusiast.
A Brief Timeline
1893: At the age of 21 Alfred Dunhill inherited a harness business and soon saw that the age of the automobile was coming and converted his father’s factory from horse-drawn carriage accessories to motor accessories. “Dunhill Motorities” was born.
1904: Alfred Dunhill invented the “Windshield Pipe”.
1906: First Dunhill tobacco shop opened on Duke St.
1910: Alfred Dunhill opened a small pipe factory of his own. The focus was to use the finest quality briar, and expert craftsmanship to make pipes that would provide a superior smoke, and last a lifetime. The cost would reflect these principals, which was against the current trend of inexpensive pipes of poor quality.
1910: The Bruyere finish is first introduced
1915: The famous white spot was introduced so customers would know which way to insert the handmade vulcanite mouthpieces on straight pipes (the spots face up).
1917: Alfred Dunhill invented the sandblasted pipe, and first introduced the "Shell" Finish. Dunhill also developed the oil curing process at this time, which many feel contributes significantly to Dunhill's excellent smoking qualities.
1920: Dunhill stopped buying bowls turned in France in favor of those turned in London at the newly opened Dunhill bowl-turning facility.
1921: Alfred Dunhill open international stores in NYC and Paris.
1924: 260,000 pipes were sold in the Duke St. Shop.
1928: Alfred Dunhill retires
1930: The Root finish is introduced. D.R. "dead root". Denotes Dunhill straight grain pipes. The bruyere finish was used on these pipes through 1929; root finish was used thereafter. "D.R." stamped on shank.
1946: Dunhill buys Hardcastle after a ten year relationship
1953: The Tanshell finish is introduced
1959: Bill Taylor start working for Dunhill as a boy
1967: Hardcastle is merged with Parker and becomes Parker-Hardcastle, LTD
1973: The Redbark finish is introduced
1977: Bill Taylor works as administrator and overseer in the Dunhill Factory
1980: The Cumberland finish is introduced
1984: Bill Taylor leaves Dunhill to become Bill Ashton-Taylor
1987: Redbark finish officially retired
Finishes
Bruyere
The orignal finish produced, and a big part of developing and marketing the brand. It was the only finish from 1910 until 1917. A dark redish brown stain.
Shell
A deep craggy sandblast with a black stain finish. Duhill pantended the sandblast finish in 1917 (Patent No. 1484/17). See The Art of Sandblasting, and by R.D. Field, for in depth look at Dunhill's revolutionary new finish. The deepest and craggiest finishes were from Algerian briar, which is softer and yields more to the blasting. These are found in circa 1920's, 1940's, and 1960's Shells. The pipes were double blasted until the 1960's, and then the double blast technique resumed in the 1980's calling it the "Deep Shell" finish. In 1996, Dunhill introduced the "Ring Grain" (RG), created by blasting a straight grain bowl. In 1990 the name was changed to the "Shilling Grain".
Root Briar
. Intorduced in 1931 and highly prized because the grain is more pronounced in this finish. The Root Briar finish required a perfectly clean bowl with excellent graining. Therefore, it is the most expensive of the Dunhill pipes. This is a rare finish, due to the scarcity of briar suitable to achieve it. These pipes are normally only available at Company stores, or Principle Pipe Dealers.
Tanshell
Introduced in 1952. The Tanshell is a light tan sandblast.
Redark
Introduced in 1972 and discontinued in 1980, the Redbark is a reddish stained sandblast.
Dress
Introduced in 1973, the Dress is a black smooth finish designed to look elegant with a tux or other formal ware.
Cumberland
Introduced in 1979. A medium brown sandblast with the rim of the bowl smooth and polished. It has a stem made from material known as Cumberland, which is a vulcanite with redish graining in with the black yielding an almost wood like appearance. Named after the warehouse on Cumbaerland Road. The old pipes that inspired this finish were found there.
Chestnut
Introduced in 1983 to commemorate the closing of the Cumberland Road warehouse. The same stain and stem material as used on the Cumberland, but on a smooth bowl.
County
Introduced in 1986. A tan sandblast with a Cumberland mouthpiece. It has since been discontinued.
Russet
Introduced in December of 1988. A medium reddish brown stain and smooth finish.
Amber Root
Introduced in 1995. A warm yellow orange stain, reminicent of the original Root Briar finish. Cumberland stems are used. This is also a limited production pipe that is found in mainly Company stores and Principle Pipe Dealers.
A selection of "Smokers" (pictured left)
Top Row 1998 Amber Root 4 1993 Shell 5108 1984 Cumberland 3103 1972 Bruyere 57 Date Obscured. Shell Pat. Weak Bottom Row 1979 Red Bark 31031 1999 Shell 4103 1958 ES Tanshell No Date ES Shell Pat.No.1341418/20 Date Obscured Bruyere EC 4A 1957 Root 713
More "Smokers" (pictured right)
Top Row 1963 Root 40 1937 Root Pat.1343253/20 472 1971 Bruyere EO 4A 1988 Russet 5112 Middle Row 1990 Tanshell 4103 1992 Shell 5124 1956 Shell 252 1964 Shell 6 LBS 1979 Cumberland 41022 1988 Russet 4114 Bottom Left Date? Root 48 4A
1990 Shell 5601 Church Warden 1964 Shell 519 Feather Bone 1935 Shell Feather Bone 1986 4107 Dress 1967 Shell Cavalier on left
Dunhill Articles
A Tail of Two Briars
Abstract: R.D. Fields writes, "As a pipe collector, a pipe hobbyist, and as a Dunhill principal pipe dealer, I hear comments over and over again about the comparative merits of the older pipes versus the newer models. Most discussion centers on the quality of the briar and the sweetness of the smoke. I hear comments such as "I love my old Dunhill pipes, but these new ones ... I don't know."
People I consider to be very knowledgeable on the subject of 20th Century briar swear that, by far, the sweetest smoke comes from those Dunhill pipes bearing a patent number (pre-1955); they will not even smoke those made after 1968, believed to be of substandard quality.
The used pipe trade has followed the same trend - patent number Dunhills are commanding a higher price than those made from 1955-1968, and a still higher price than those made after 1968.
Due to the mystique surrounding the older Dunhill pipe, there is, indeed, a need to explore any factual basis behind the "myth". This, reader, is the purpose of this article." Read A Tail of Two Briars, by R.D. Fields
Dunhill Collections
G.L. Pease has a nice collection of Dunhills: The Mystery of the White Spot - Pipes from Dunhill
A Dunhill Pipe Dating Guide
Dunhill is the only factory made pipe that can be accurately dated. This contributes to it's popularity with collectors, but it can be difficult to accurately date any given pipe. We have imported R.D. Fields A Dunhill Pipe Dating Guide to Pipedia, by permission of the author. This guide is very helpful, but there are discrepancies in both the literature regarding the nomenclature, and anomalies in the nomenclature itself. We highly recommend the book by Dunhill expert, John C. Loring called, "The Dunhill Briar Pipe - 'the patent years and after'. It is available from the author. Loring also publishes corrections and additions on his website, which are extremely helpful.
Contact information:
Alfred Dunhill Manufacturing Limited, 32 St Andrews Road, London E17 6BQ; Telephone: +44 (0)20 8498 4000; Fax: +44 (020) 8498 4077; Email: mailto:adpl@dunhill.com