Dunhill 2001 Shell Briar ODA 848 Large Dublin 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.

This particular Dunhill belongs to the rare, “OD” series. As historian John Loring recounts, post-war OD designs, such as this one, were distinct in shape and/or in size from Dunhill’s standard offerings. As Loring also recounts, this schema originally divided shapes into either what Dunhill called “semi-giants,” or ones that were unconventional in relation to Anglo-French pipe design. Additionally, the OD schema marked this division with specific numerical codes, with shapes beginning with “83,” such as the 836 foursquare, being on the “semi-giant” side. Later, more extra-large shapes were added to the roster, though production of these shapes remained infrequent. These new OD shapes had codes beginning with “84” and “85”, which is how we end up with this pipe: an impressively large, borderline magnum Dublin. Perhaps even more impressive, though, is the sandblasting on this Shell Briar iteration. It’s so good, I’m a little stumped as to how the pipe didn’t earn Dunhill’s premium Ring Grain designation. After doing some research, I was only able to find one Ring Grain OD shape, which was made around five years ago. Perhaps Dunhill only started adding that premium recently. Perhaps one of our customers can enlighten me on that one.

The condition is great. Some very minor, inner rim wear. The pipe came in through our trade-in program, with what I’m assuming is its original box and sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.92 / 23.36mm

Bowl Depth: 1.80″ / 45.72mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g