Dunhill: Difference between revisions

Dunhill's most prestigious line, the "Dead-Root", is filled with many controversies, but certainly has its place in the sun.

Among the connoisseurs of the brand, this is a very desired series. In addition to the pieces that were made under the management of Alfred Dunhill (until mid-1928) and limited in number, the D.R. has a special place in the heart and collections of nearly all Dunhill collectors.

The Dead Root idea was conceived at the end of the 1920's and then realized in the early 1930 years. The Dead-Root brought a stronger grain feature to the the already well established "Bruyère" (from 1932 on it received the same finish). The D.R. models are perfect. Made with the best Briar available and that is – compulsorily – "Straight Grain". They are rare models of considerable value, which vary according to the graduation of the grain, and can fetch 4k USD on the Estate market. Over the years, Dunhill has established a classification system based on the aesthetic aspect of this product, using alphabet letters and a variable number of stars.

The criticism emphasizes that it is only a question of marketing. However, it is exciting to know the minutiae of this model and to understand what earns a Dunhill the "Dead-Root" leval.

This classification is totally tied to the type of Briar, which was naturally cured for hundreds of years while it was "dead." That is, the maturation process would begin shortly after the death of the tree and where it would sit for decades. It is said that only in the way is it possible to obtain such an exceptional grain that is required by the series. However, experts oppose this by arguing that as soon as the tree dies it immediately begins to decompose, and therefore would be completely unusable in a short period of time. In any case, there are still some doubts. The mystery and the uncertainty makes the thing even more interesting. Regardless of the controversy, they are certainly exceptional pieces.

In his poster, Dunhill advertised the product with the following:

The "D.R." is stamped on the left side of the shank. Up to 1948, they were classed with stars that indicated the quality of the grain. In mid-1949, they began to be sorted with letters from the alphabet (ascending) from "A" to "J". According to some sources, in the decade of the 1970's, the star was dissociated from the classification and began to indicate the size, but soon this classification was discontinued. There are cases in which the "A" was printed and, shortly after, was reconsidered and printed a "B" to improve the classification, getting both printed on the shank (A 2 B). They say that the qualification of the grain depends on the mood of the person doing the evaluation, because there are cases in which a classification "a" has more personality than a classification "D", for example. The easiest classifications to find are between "A" and "E". From "F" to "J", finding them becomes much more difficult.

In 2000, a new D.R. series was launched with stronger grains, called "Flames", and they follow the same criteria, but classified with "flames" instead of stars. Photos for easier understanding: