1953 Dunhill Root Briar ODA 834 Smooth Prince 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.

The “OD” pipes are some of the rarest Dunhills around (or, at least, those that are still around), and as such are of particular interest for collectors. It is hypothesized that the letters “OD” stood for “own design,” being distinct from the typical shape chart Dunhill used. In the case of post-war ODs, like this one, a letter was added indicating the pipe’s grade (here, “A”), and a three-digit shape code was added. This one is an 834 prince shape, though it is a rare example of a magnum-sized post-war OD, as according to Dunhill historian John Loring, ODs from this period were more often much smaller pipes, and therefore more in line with Dunhill’s standard output. In Dunhill’s own terms, this would have been a “semi-giant” prince.

The condition is great. There’s some darkening and finish fading on the rim, and one spot on the inner lip of the chamber that has come slightly out of round, but nevertheless this patent era OD has been preserved remarkably. The last thing that should be mentioned is that this Dunhill does not have its original inner tube, as is often the case with Dunhill pipes.

 

Details:

Length: 7.2″ / 182.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.94 / 23.87mm

Bowl Depth: 1.07″ / 27.17mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 82g