Dunhill Christmas Pipe

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Written by Andrea Gravano
Contributed and translated by Yang Forcióri


It was in 1980 that the first commemorative Dunhill Christmas pipe appeared. Throughout the '80s, own them were a point of honor for collectors. They were available in a few hundred pieces and the supply did not meet the demand: few distributors could have one available to their customers. Since 1982 the pipes have been accompanied by a leather box in the shape of a book. Until 1992 each pipe was exclusively dedicated to Christmas of the year. From 1993 edition, the pipes were further included in a 12-year series, dedicated to fairy tales of the English tradition and accompanied by a silver tamper (that echoes the theme of the fairy tale), as well as by the certificate and leather box.

Since 1993 the Christmas pipe has become less exclusive, not only because of the increases of production but also because the pipe was no longer unique and becomes was tied to a series. This increase in production and availability gave access for more users and made possible the emergence of new collectors from 1993: for some of them, one of these pipes has become the Christmas gift for excellence.

It's hard to find a full Dunhill Christmas collection, mostly because of the rarest and most coveted: the 1981 Dunhill Christmas Pipe, the second in the series. Due to an error on printing the price list, several pipes (something between 75/96 - there is no certainty), were sold at the price of 425 euros - which did not include the cost of the wooden box. It was expected at 650 euros. Instead of correcting the error, the company decided to remove the unsold pipes from the market. Today, the 1981 Dunhill Christmas Pipe is one of the rarest and is, for many collectors, the missing piece to complete the full Christmas series.

To the delight of the eyes, follows the photos of the Dunhill Christmas pipes from 1980 (The 1980 edition has three different mouthpieces) to 1992, the rarest and most fascinating.
(Photos by Smokingpipes, Esterval's pipe house, L. J. Peretti and Finelighters).




From 1993 to 2004 the Dunhill Christmas pipes constitute a unique series, named following the English tradition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas. Each year's edition features a line of the nursery rhyme. The pipes are accompanied by a box in the shape of a book, a certificate, and a silver-themed tamper - 500 pieces per year.




In 2005 the Christmas pipe was dedicated to Wilson A. Bentley, the first man who photographed a snowflake showing its structure. The pipe is accompanied by a white book box, with a print run of 400 specimens.

2005 - Snowflake





From 2006 to 2010, the Christmas pipes are part of a series called "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, loosely based on Dickens's Christmas Carol. Each edition has a print run of 300 pieces in a red book box covered in green, accompanied by a silver tamper.




In 2011, it began a new series that will be produced for the next 12 years, named the "After the Work The Nutcracker by E.T. A. Hoffmann: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Characterized by a blue book box with a tamper larger than previous editions, made with 50 grams of 925 silver. In fact, following the change in the brand name, it would be correct to call these pipes of "The White Spot Christmas Pipes".



Adapted from the original publication (in Italian), on La Compagnia del Tobacco forum by Andrea Gravano here.

Yang (talk) 05:31, 14 January 2020 (CST)