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.

Two very early examples. The top piece is from 1918, and carries the #24 stamp (the size of the “Inner Tube,” not the shape). This pipe would later be referred to as the “O” in the catalogue. The bottom pipe is a 1925 PO shape in exquisite condition. From the G.L. Pease Collection [1]

A Brief Timeline

1918 "Inner Tube" Pat. 5861/12 O, Derek Green Collection[2]
1919/1920 Shell: Pat. App. For over Pat. Mar. 9.15 Reg. No. 654638 Shape 4, Derek Green Collection[3]
1919 "Inner Tube" Pat. 5861/12 EW 7, Derek Green Collection[4]
1920 Dunhill Cased Reading Pipe, Derek Green Collection[5]
1925 Dunhill A "Inner Tube" over Pat. No. 5861/12 Shape 47, Derek Green Collection[6]
1922 Cased Pair of Dunhills. Shell 35/7. DR 4 with later silver cap.[7]
1930 Cased set of three Dunhill Shells[8]

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

1918 Bruyere, "Inner Tube" Pat. 5861/12 O, from the Derek Green Collection
Dunhill, 1950 Bruyere, smokingpipes.com

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 1937 Shell LB, G.L. Pease collection[9]

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".






Ring Grain (RG)

Dunhill, Ring Grain ODA, smokingpipes.com






Root Briar

1940, Shape #48 saddle bulldog in Root finish, G.L. Pease collection[10]

. 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

Dunhill Tanshell, smokingpipes.com

Introduced in 1952. The Tanshell is a light tan sandblast.





Redbark

Dunhill Redbark ODA, smokingpipes.com

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", Derek Green Collection[11]

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[12]

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[13]
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