1969 Dunhill Shell EK Foursquare Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe manufacturer, and continues to produce some of the most treasured pipes a smoker can buy.

Dunhill’s EK is by no means a common shape, and not just because it has long been replaced by later variants. In fact, it was originally what Dunhill calls a “Quaint” shape, meaning a non-standard shape only manufactured when a given block of briar suited it more than anything else. Originating in 1928, the EK is what would commonly be called a “panel” or a “foursquare,” i.e., a pipe whose shank and stem are cut into a flattened four-sided form, and whose bowl is cut into four more main panels, with smaller, slightly more rounded, panels joining them at each corner. This one is dressed in the make’s famed Shell Briar finish, showing off some nicely deep, ring grain sandblasting stained in a dark burgundy hue. In this instance, the peculiarity of the shape and the reserved finish provide an interesting counterpoint, and make for an all-round great looking pipe.

For a pipe of its age, the condition is very good. There is some significant rim darkening and a little bit of finish fading on the rim’s edges. The darkening may respond well to a deeper clean than I’ve had given to it. I prefer a light-touch approach to sandblasted and rusticated restorations, leaving any more of a thorough scrubbing to the buyer’s preference.

 

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.48″ / 37.59mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g