1960 Dunhill Root Briar LBS SP Smooth Billiard 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.

I must admit, Dunhill’s LBS (“large billiard slender) is one of my favorite shapes from the English make. The LB (“large billiard”) was a shape first offered by Dunhill in the interwar years, and has since become an iconic Dunhill design and an archetype for what a good billiard might be. The LBS came later, achieving a similar iconic, archetypal status within pipe-making. As the name implies, it is essentially an LB whose form has been “stretched” slightly so that the shank is slimmer and longer. This one is from what many consider to have been a golden age of Dunhill production, the 1960s, in part because of the special oil curing process that stummels underwent. Similarly, this one will have been made from high-grade (and very lightweight) Corsican briar, as was used exclusively on Root Briars during that time. This is quite evident even from a purely visual inspection, due to the tight-knit bird’s-eye patterns which almost completely surround the pipe’s bowl. On a last note, this Dunhill has a curious additional stamp alongside the standard Dunhill fare—”SP”. This appears to be a mystery that has confounded Dunhill collectors, even those as esteemed as John Loring. It has been speculated to refer to pipes with superior grain, but alas, this remains mere speculation. If it did mean that, I can absolutely see why this one qualified. If you happen to know, please do pass any information you have. I’d love to find out.

The condition is great. Some very minor darkening and wear to the finish on the rim and the stamping is a little faded, though still legible.

 

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 1.6″ / 40.64mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g