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Alfred Dunhill White Spot Pipes
Alfred Dunhill
The challenge of a Dunhill history is to separate myth and legend from history. This, however, may be impossible. The story of Alfred Dunhill is so tied up with the myth that the myths are now part of the history. Alfred opened a small factory of his own in 1910. He set down two principles that would guide the production of Dunhill Pipes. First, pipes would be made of only the finest quality briar, with exacting care by expert craftsmen. Secondly, the pipes would be priced accordingly; the customer would recognize the value of a superior product. This ran counter to the current trend of inexpensive pipes of poor quality that one simply discarded after a short while. The Dunhill pipe was made to last a lifetime and always with an eye to utility. It must smoke well and continue to do so with age.
Alfred Dunhill White Spot
In 1915, the famous white spot was introduced for very practical concerns. With straight pipes, customers had trouble knowing which way to insert the handmade vulcanite mouthpieces. So Alfred Dunhill ordered white spots to be placed on the upper side of the stem. This very practical solution would become a definitive trademark of Dunhill pipes. The “white spot” soon became known as a symbol of quality.
Bruyere Briar Pipes
The Bruyere is a smooth finish with a deep red stain, obtained through two coats, a brown under-stain followed by a deep red. Early Dunhill used different briars with different stains, resulting in more distinct and identifiable creations. Bruyere pipes were usually made using Calabrian briar, a very dense and hardy briar that has a mediocre grain but does very well with the deep red stain.
Chestnut Briar Pipes
Introduced in 1983 to commemorate the closing of the Cumberland Road warehouse. Dunhills darkest walnut stain is used to great effect. Similar to the Cumberland stain but the Chestnut range are smooth bowls. A great deal of skill and craftsmanship goes into the creation of each pipe, with each block of briar going through a painstaking process of 90 different stages before finally being given the white spot.
County Briar Pipes
First Introduced in 1986 the County pipe starts its life out as a carefully selected briar root which then undergoes more than 90 separate processes that takes several months. It's not until the final stage of sandblasting that you can see the quality of the grain and the majority of the blocks will fail this stage. The Sandblasted finish is enhanced by a lighter stain which really enhances the superior grain of the briar. The bowl is finished with a cumberland stem that contrasts the finish beautifully. The advantages of the sandblasted finish is that it gives more surface area resulting in a cooler smoother smoke.
Ruby Bark Briar Pipes
First Introduced as Redbark in 1972 this red stained sandblast was originally a medium red stain but was changed a couple of years later to a brighter red, almost pink in colour. This caused the sales to plummet and was retired in 1987. Now this stunning finish has been reintroduced to the original specification under the name Ruby Bark and we think you'll agree that it was a very wise decision indeed.
Shell Briar Pipes
Alfred Dunhill’s most revolutionary innovation was the Shell pipe in 1917. How this technique of sandblasting came about is somewhat of a mystery. The story often told is that Alfred Dunhill went down into his basement in the wintertime to make a couple pipes and accidentally left one, a half finished piece, by the heating boiler. He returned sometime next summer, having suddenly thought of the pipe, only to find some of the grain had ‘shrunk’, leaving a relief pattern. Obviously, this is apocryphal, probably resulting from the ‘shrunken’ look that sandblasts (especially the gnarly ones of that era) frequently have. Some say the name “Shell” came from the shriveled look the pipe took on after the sandblasting process. Alfred realized Algerian briar, then considered inferior, could be used in this new process. The softer wood could be ‘blasted away’, leaving behind only the harder briar and the beautiful natural pattern of the wood. Originally, the Shell pipes were not stamped because the sandblasting technique, not yet being refined, made recognizing the standard shape much more difficult. Though the Shell finish certainly did not arise from accidentally forgotten pipes in the cellar, it was definitely an important innovation on Dunhill’s part.
Cumberland Briar Pipes
The Cumberland finish was first introduced in 1979. The pipes are sandblasted with a brown stain and had a brindled, vulcanite stem. Originally, the Cumberland always featured a smooth brown rim, but in the current production the rim is sometimes smooth, sometimes sandblasted. Occasionally, a straight grain blast is finished with a Cumberland stain and a “Shilling Grain,” similar to the “Ring Grain,” resulting in a new variation on the traditional sandblast. The Shilling series is named for the British coin: the sandblast looks like a stack of shillings. Named after the warehouse on Cumberland Road. The old pipes that inspired this finish were found there.
Amber Root Briar Pipes
Dunhill Amber Root Briar Pipes are a high quality real briar pipe by Dunhill, hand made in London to the highest standards of workmanship. The Amber Root are chosen for their superior grain. The pipes are finished with a lighter warm coloured stain to enhance the beautiful grain of the briar and the mouthpieces are made of black vulcanite.
Tanshell Briar Pipes
Introduced in 1952. The Tanshell is a light tan sandblast. Manufactured using the finest Sardinian briar. There is a distinct contrast in the sandblasts using Sardinian as opposed to Algerian briar. The Sardinian is much denser and much harder. The resulting pattern, when blasted, is far more even and regular both in terms of the surface texture and the finish.
Shell Briar Pipes
Alfred Dunhill’s most revolutionary innovation was the Shell pipe in 1917. How this technique of sandblasting came about is somewhat of a mystery. The story often told is that Alfred Dunhill went down into his basement in the wintertime to make a couple pipes and accidentally left one, a half finished piece, by the heating boiler. He returned sometime next summer, having suddenly thought of the pipe, only to find some of the grain had ‘shrunk’, leaving a relief pattern. Obviously, this is apocryphal, probably resulting from the ‘shrunken’ look that sandblasts (especially the gnarly ones of that era) frequently have. Some say the name “Shell” came from the shriveled look the pipe took on after the sandblasting process. Alfred realized Algerian briar, then considered inferior, could be used in this new process. The softer wood could be ‘blasted away’, leaving behind only the harder briar and the beautiful natural pattern of the wood. Originally, the Shell pipes were not stamped because the sandblasting technique, not yet being refined, made recognizing the standard shape much more difficult. Though the Shell finish certainly did not arise from accidentally forgotten pipes in the cellar, it was definitely an important innovation on Dunhill’s part.
