Dunhill

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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

1918 "Inner Tube" Pat. 5861/12 O, Derek Green Collection[1]
1919/1920 Shell: Pat. App. For over Pat. Mar. 9.15 Reg. No. 654638 Shape 4, Derek Green Collection[2]
1919 "Inner Tube" Pat. 5861/12 EW 7, Derek Green Collection[3]
1920 Dunhill Cased Reading Pipe, Derek Green Collection[4]
1925 Dunhill A "Inner Tube" over Pat. No. 5861/12 Shape 47, Derek Green Collection[5]
1922 Cased Pair of Dunhills. Shell 35/7. DR 4 with later silver cap.[6]
1930 Cased set of three Dunhill Shells[7]

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.

1953: The Tanshell finish is introduced

1959: Bill Taylor start working for Dunhill as a boy

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


A selection of "Smokers", Derek Green Collection[8]

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", Derek Green Collection[9]



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







"More Smokers", Derek Green Collection[10]
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

A Dunhill Pipe Dating Guide

We are working on Importing R.D. Fields guide to Pipedia, meanwhile it can be accessed at his own website here:

A Dunhill Pipe Dating Guide

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.

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