Design Berlin Burberry Smooth Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, 9mm, Unsmoked

Description

Until quite recently, Design Berlin was the number two best-selling German pipe brand after Vauen. Founded in 1948 as Pfeifenstudio Hartmann by Hubert Hartmann, the company adopted the name Design Berlin and the lowercase ‘db’ logo in 1975 as part of a modernization push. Design Berlin went on to achieve a level of success that was—as just mentioned—all but unrivaled in the German pipe making scene but, unfortunately, was nevertheless forced to close its doors in 2019.

I feel quite embarrassed to have only discovered at the end of last year that Design Berlin was no longer making pipes. One of my earliest pipes was in fact a Design Berlin, and I still reach for it every so often if I want to use a 9mm filter. Something notable about these pipes is that nearly all of them have a twin bore stem, similarly to some Comoy’s and Radice models. This one comes from the Burberry line, taking the form of a very nice, flame grain saddle Rhodesian, 

The pipe is unsmoked, which is becoming increasingly rare (for obvious reasons) for Design Berlin pipes. It has an original bowl coating, which has begun to flake just a little bit. The pipe is also chambered to accommodate a 9mm filter, be it activated charcoal, meerschaum, or balsa.

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.41″ / 35.81mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g