Dunhill “Not for sale” Shell Briar 4117 Bulldog Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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 is an odd Dunhill – not a bad odd by any means – but an odd Dunhill nonetheless. The pipe has a curious, additional stamp layered over the typical finish designation and date code, reading “NOT FOR SALE”. Thankfully, Dunhill themselves can answer this little mystery. These pipes were stamped as “not for sale” because they were not sold by Dunhill or an affiliated vendor. Instead, these pipes were given away as gifts to the individuals Dunhill did business with. Of course, this doesn’t prohibit the pipes being sold on the estates market. This one is certainly something I’d appreciate being gifted, as it’s a delightfully squat bulldog, reminiscent of the old and much-coveted O shape, though slightly more compact. The Shell Briar sandblast finish is wonderfully craggy, while unblasted, smooth polished rim adds a nice contrast within the overall design.

Not only was this Dunhill never sold before, but it was also never smoked. It is completely unused, with an original bowl coating and its original condenser tube.

 

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.2″ / 30.48mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g