Dunhill: Difference between revisions

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[[File:GettyImages-1093018076.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Anthony Greener, Managing Director of Dunhill. 06 OCT 1978 (Photo by Chan Kiu/South China Morning Post).]]
[[File:GettyImages-1093018076.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Anthony Greener, Managing Director of Dunhill. 06 OCT 1978 (Photo by Chan Kiu/South China Morning Post).]]
[[File:GettyImages-107415063.jpg|thumb|right|200px|14k Umbrella Pipe - Dunhill.]]
[[File:GettyImages-107415063.jpg|thumb|right|200px|14k Umbrella Pipe - Dunhill.]]
At the beginning of the 60th decade, the Italian government restricted the use of the Briar to Italian manufacturers and the Algerian briar became scarce (consequence of the Algerian War of Independence. 1954-1962), which forced Dunhill to turn to Grecian briar, as R. D. Fields said in [[The Art of Sandblasting]], "During the 1960s and ’70s Dunhill could not acquire the Algerian briar." Consequently, the company’s sandblast pipes were much shallower and less distinct and, as R. D. Fields also related in another article, [[A Tail of Two Briars]] that the age of the briar used in the '60s was averaged between 60 and 100 years old and then changed drastically to a briar less aged, between 50 and 80 years. These factors contributed to the construction of this concept of loss of quality. But as Dr. Hanna argues in his article, "briar from certain regions has different physical qualities, but this does not seem to be related to taste and smoking potential." Mr. Esserman, Loring, and David Webb also mention these changes.
At the beginning of the 60th decade, the Italian government restricted the use of the Briar to Italian manufacturers and the Algerian briar became scarce (a consequence of the Algerian War of Independence. 1954-1962), which forced Dunhill to turn to Grecian briar, as R. D. Fields said in [[The Art of Sandblasting]], "During the 1960s and ’70s Dunhill could not acquire the Algerian briar." Consequently, the company’s sandblast pipes were much shallower and less distinct and, as R. D. Fields also related in another article, [[A Tail of Two Briars]] that the age of the briar used in the '60s was averaged between 60 and 100 years old and then changed drastically to a briar less aged, between 50 and 80 years. These factors contributed to the construction of this concept of loss of quality. But as Dr. Hanna argues in his article, "briar from certain regions has different physical qualities, but this does not seem to be related to taste and smoking potential." Mr Esserman, Loring, and David Webb also mention these changes.
<blockquote><q>Dunhill around 1970 could not get discrete wood for the various - Sardinian for Tanshells, Algerian for Shells - Dunhill had to move to what I was told wood from Greece which did not blast as deep.  Dunhill for a brief period used a black understain on the Shells - Dunhill experimented using blanks instead of hand-cut bits. So in the early-mid 1970's - Dunhill's reputation suffered. But Dunhill rebounded around 1975 and 1978 was one of Dunhill's greatest years ever.</q> Esserman<ref name=rich>Esserman, Richard. (2019). About Dunhill - Facebook Talks.</ref>.</blockquote>   
<blockquote><q>Dunhill around 1970 could not get discrete wood for the various - Sardinian for Tanshells, Algerian for Shells - Dunhill had to move to what I was told wood from Greece which did not blast as deep.  Dunhill for a brief period used a black understain on the Shells - Dunhill experimented using blanks instead of hand-cut bits. So in the early-mid 1970's - Dunhill's reputation suffered. But Dunhill rebounded around 1975 and 1978 was one of Dunhill's greatest years ever.</q> Esserman<ref name=rich>Esserman, Richard. (2019). About Dunhill - Facebook Talks.</ref>.</blockquote>   


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The metrics used in defining the concept of "quality loss" seems to be related to misperceptions of changes and aesthetics subjective values. In these circumstances, any definitive conclusion may be premature and unfair. Even the process of oil curing, that was considered determinant in quality, in the end, it not so decisive, as we can see in another consideration of Dr. Hanna:
The metrics used in defining the concept of "quality loss" seems to be related to misperceptions of changes and aesthetics subjective values. In these circumstances, any definitive conclusion may be premature and unfair. Even the process of oil curing, that was considered determinant in quality, in the end, it not so decisive, as we can see in another consideration of Dr. Hanna:


<blockquote><q>Several Dunhill collectors have told me in no uncertain terms that the old patent Dunhills (before 1955) smoke decidedly better than the later models. So, which time frame owns the peculiar Dunhill character? This adds considerable ambiguity to the great taste of a Dunhill. Does oil curing make the difference? Probably not if Dunhill pipes have not been oil cured for perhaps 33 years, and Bill Taylor implies that after a while oil curing is not a factor anyway. Taylor, who oil cures his own Ashton pipes, has stated that the effects of oil curing can no longer be discerned in a pipe after 30 or so bowls of tobacco. In other words, after a sufficient cake has formed and the pipe is well broken-in, the influence of the bowl treatment or curing method becomes negligible. Now where, I ask, is that unique Dunhill character? The cake and the wood itself probably have more influence on taste than the curing method after many, many, smokes.</q> Dr. Fred Hanna - The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking.</blockquote>
<blockquote><q>Several Dunhill collectors have told me in no uncertain terms that the old patent Dunhills (before 1955) smoke decidedly better than the later models. So, which time frame owns the peculiar Dunhill character? This adds considerable ambiguity to the great taste of a Dunhill. Does oil curing make the difference? Probably not if Dunhill pipes have not been oil cured for perhaps 33 years, and Bill Taylor implies that after a while oil curing is not a factor anyway. Taylor, who oil cures his own Ashton pipes, has stated that the effects of oil curing can no longer be discerned in a pipe after 30 or so bowls of tobacco. In other words, after a sufficient cake has formed and the pipe is well broken-in, the influence of the bowl treatment or curing method becomes negligible. Now where, I ask, is that unique Dunhill character? The cake and the wood itself probably have more influence on taste than the curing method after many, many, smokes.</q> Dr Fred Hanna. <ref name=hanna>Hanna, Fred. (2002), The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking. Retrieved 19 March 2020 from [http://www.greatnorthernpipeclub.org/Myth.htm The Great Northern Pipe Club].</ref></blockquote>


There are pipes from different periods that, due to the manufacturing process, present some minor irregularities, such as misaligned bowl drilling, white dot and funnel bore of stem - especially in the '90s. But that doesn't mean they weren't good pipes. Some criticisms seem to be nostalgic - the brand continues to manufacture good pipes today, now called "Alfred Dunhill's - The White Spot".
There are pipes from different periods that, due to the manufacturing process, present some minor irregularities, such as misaligned bowl drilling, white dot and funnel bore of stem - especially in the '90s. But that doesn't mean they weren't good pipes. Some criticisms seem to be nostalgic - the brand continues to manufacture good pipes today, now called "Alfred Dunhill's - The White Spot".


<blockquote><q>I know many collectors who have told me personally that some of their Dunhills smoke great, while some do not smoke so well. I personally have owned a few Dunhills that were poor smokers and others that were fantastic.</q> Dr. Fred Hanna - The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking.</blockquote>
<blockquote><q>I know many collectors who have told me personally that some of their Dunhills smoke great, while some do not smoke so well. I personally have owned a few Dunhills that were poor smokers and others that were fantastic.</q> Dr Fred Hanna. <ref name=hanna>Hanna, Fred. (2002), The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking. Retrieved 19 March 2020 from [http://www.greatnorthernpipeclub.org/Myth.htm The Great Northern Pipe Club].</ref></blockquote>


<blockquote><q>I will say that I have smoked hundreds of Dunhill's - from all time periods and have found that the smoking qualities are great - no matter what the date of manufacture. I have the largest standard Production Roots from the 1970's - magnums from the early 2000's  - just bought a 2019 Ring Grain Magnum - and have many great Magnums from the 1920's - 1930.  So the 1968 date is meaningless.</q> Esserman<ref name=rich>Esserman, Richard. (2019). About Dunhill - Facebook Talks.</ref>.</blockquote>   
<blockquote><q>I will say that I have smoked hundreds of Dunhill's - from all time periods and have found that the smoking qualities are great - no matter what the date of manufacture. I have the largest standard Production Roots from the 1970's - magnums from the early 2000's  - just bought a 2019 Ring Grain Magnum - and have many great Magnums from the 1920's - 1930.  So the 1968 date is meaningless.</q> Esserman<ref name=rich>Esserman, Richard. (2019). About Dunhill - Facebook Talks.</ref>.</blockquote>