Is a Dunhill Worth the Cost?

[phil67]

I’m sure everyone, or at least most would agree that you’re simply paying for the name of Dunhill.

If I had the money (which I don’t) to purchase a more expensive pipe the last pipe I would purchase is a Dunhill. However, I’ll admit that if by some strange circumstance I happened across an estate Dunhill for a very reasonable price I would probably grab it, but only to clean it up and resell it at a profit as I don’t have the faintest interest in owning one. I can understand those who are attuned to collecting pipes for their collective intrinsic value, but the name Dunhill does not in any way shape or form make the pipe a better burner, but simply makes it a more valuable pipe. One prime example in paying the inflated prices for the name of Dunhill is a simple pipe tool. I have the same stainless steel pipe tamper, albeit a nameless one. The one pictured is a Dunhill tamper, which of course has the exalted name of Dunhill on it which sells for $110.00! The one I purchased some years ago sold for just over $9.00 as I remember. Now, can anyone honestly say that the Dunhill tamper is better than the one I own simply because it’s a Dunhill tamper? Lets get real here for heavens sake!

 

[sparrowhawk]

I did own a Dunhill I got from eBay very briefly. I loved it--until it started billowing smoke from several spectacular fractures in the bowl. The pipe was returned without incident--the sellers had a good rep and didn't want to see it spoiled--but it was good while it lasted. I think, after I get a few other pipes I've been wanting, that I might consider contacting Rad for a Dunhill type pipe. On the other hand, I do own several shell briars made by Paul's Pipe Shop, and they resemble Dunhills and smoke great. Hopefully our pipe club will be visiting the Shop again soon so I can pick up one of their short churchwardens. I also want to get a Peterson churchwarden--I've heard some spectacular things about them.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Now, can anyone honestly say that the Dunhill tamper is better than the one I own simply because it’s a Dunhill tamper? Give me a freaking break!

Luckily they don't try to get away with the name-driven price bump with their tobaccos too much, maybe save for the Rolls. Wonder why that strategy works for pipes and tampers and not tobacco? Is it because they don't make the tobacco and it's stretching the BS a little too far?

 

[phil67]

Gotta say, I love many of their blends, and thankfully the almighty name of Dunhill has not influenced the ridiculous prices of their tobacco as it does with anything else with the 'religious' name of Dunhill on it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I had one of their Ruby Bark billiards briefly. Drilling was slightly off, and honestly, it really didn't smoke any better than a cob. Finally traded it for a few tins of Mephisto, and feel that I got the better end of the deal. Really don't have any desire to own another, especially with better, and more affordable pipes from artisans that will make pipes specifically for my smoking preferences.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Now the question is: Are your lungs strong enough to suck smoke through a three foot stem and bit? Four feet? What is the maximum length a stem could be and still function, at ambient pressure, at sea level? Inquiring minds are anxiously awaiting the answer.

Going back to this, because it's a fun thought experiment.... A straw works the same as a pipe, and air pressure at sea level can maintain the function of a 30-foot-long drinking straw and a liquid with the density of water. It would follow that the function of air pressure on pipe smoke would support a much much longer length than 30 feet. All you need is a lower pressure of air in your mouth than ambient pressure, which is what happens when you take a draw.
That's a long churchwarden.

 

[Chasing Embers]

@sparrowhawk

As for Rad...

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/it-is-official-rad-davis-has-retired

 

[maxpeters]

"It involves being able to collaboratively actualize high standards in synergy, and appropriately streamline economically sound schemas in pursuit of continually predominating inter-mandated ideas and client-focused channels. In other words, to communicate the coordination of cross-media, and intrinsically engineer mission-critical functionalities in the idea matrix."
Huh?

 

[warren]

I'm impressed with the responses to my question. Very good class!
With regard to the Dunhill marque. Dunhill did, in their hay day, market to a specific target group of smokers. Much like GM and their Caddy, Rolls Royce, Mont Blanc, etc. Their pipes were to go to certain "discerning" smokers, not "bog trotters," wine stompers, or, in particular the rowdy "hoi polloi" in the colonies. A Dunhill in the fist or hanging out of your mouth was a sign to yourself and others that you had arrived.
You are buying a revered marque and many people do indeed revere the mark even though today's Dunhill is far removed from the "good ol' days." It's a state of mind thing more than the actual pipe or pipe tool.

 

[phil67]

It's a state of mind thing more than the actual pipe or pipe tool.

When all is said and done, my state of mind is quite content with a cob stuck in my pie hole and an aluminum pipe nail to tamp down my baccy. :wink:

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I'm impressed with the responses to my question. Very good class!

Were you just curious how dumb I may or may not be?

 

[sablebrush52]

This has been a very interesting and enlightening thread. As an internationally acclaimed expert and scholar on pipe matters, I find it incumbent to settle this question once and for all.
Are Dunhills worth the money?
I can state without reserve and in no fear of contradiction that Dunhills
Thank you.

 

[warren]

Nope! I was impressed that nobody asked what "ambient pressure" was. :worship:

 

[warren]

phil: I must ask (gently applying the needle, hopefully in a humorous manner): "Do you consider Missouri Meerschaum to be the superior marque in the field of cobs? Or, will you happily purchase one of Chinese manufacture at a lower price?"

 

[sparrowhawk]

I read chasingembers link on Rad's retirement; darn! Stephen Downey did a nice job on a custom pipe that expresses my unearthly gothic sensibilities, the Vampire's Wand--perhaps I should ask him about a neo-Dunhill shell.

 

[iamn8]

There is an unarguable absolute reason for the price of a Dunhill pipe. Supply & Demand. Opinions as to are they worth the price is completely irrelevant except for forums such as this. If Dunhills were truly inferior products they wouldn't sell. In the world of pipes & tobacco Dunhill is biblical in stature. No other word in the entire tobacco world ignites such passions for and against. I've seen the absolute identical arguments played out for every single luxury brand from Armani and Prada, Ferrari to Rolls-Royce, Dunhill to Davidoff, Rolex to Hublot, and onwards and onwards. Every product and service has a Dunhill equivalent. Is a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright any better to live in than one by Chuck The Contractor? Of course it isn't. Only the monicker changes, the arguments remain the same. You're paying for a companies history, marketing, status, quality, recognition, etc... None of those things come cheaply. And as it is with every single luxury brand there's ever been there are those who hate/dislike/don't care about any object falling under such a brand. This identical argument has been and will be made ad infinitum. Each time the argument is had, characters saunter up and fill their predictable rolls.

Are they worth the price of admission? Absolutely and not at all.

 

[iamn8]

Sparrow, check out commissioned pipes by Michael Parks! I know Peck has quite a few and he's doing one for me as well, my dream pipe. His work is imPECKable. He can be either very creative or can create your desires. IMO he's currently the best out there... And as such there's a waiting period of quite a few months, but well worth the wait.

 

[pipeherman]

I have three Dunhill's; a shell, a tanshell and a root. Do they smoke better than any of my other pipes? Not particularly.

Will I buy more despite their heavy price? Almost certainly.

 

[misterlowercase]

I think Neill Archer Roan summed it all up quite nicely in this 2010 blog post...

Dunhill: Pipe or Icon?
“So what makes Dunhill pipes so great, anyway? Are they really worth what they cost?”
It seems like an innocent enough question, doesn’t it? Yet, every time this question - or its first or second cousin – shows up in one of the myriad pipe-smoking forums, all hell breaks loose. Sure, sometimes the thread remains restrained or civil, but all too often the thread tone crosses the canyon. Discussion turns to debate and when that happens it is almost certain that there will be a lot more heat than light.
Almost certainly, old-timers roll their eyes and ask themselves, “Do we have to go through this all over again?” I’m sympathetic, I admit, but asking this question is about as reasonable as a Vermonter muttering about mud season coming around again. It’s going to happen and, if you’re around, you’re going to go through it.
Some people – and I’ve been one of them – try to address the question in earnest. The inevitable comparisons between brands and grades of other pipes are made. People who own Dunhills will pronounce their favorite Kaywoodie a superior smoker. Someone who smokes a comparably priced artisan-grade pipe, e.g. a Rad Davis or John Crosby pipe, will make the inevitable argument for putting the money into a truly handmade pipe. Charatan and Savinelli owners will decisively argue for their own preferences. And those who are well-mannered and gracious will almost always close with a statement to the effect of “Of course, this is just my opinion. Smoke what you enjoy and enjoy what you smoke. It’s what’s important to you that matters.”
Arguments and facts miss the point. Dunhill is not a pipe. It’s not even 100 pipes. The virtues or shortcomings of one pipe, a hundred, or a thousand pipes have become irrelevant. It is not what Dunhill is, but what it stands for, that matters. Dunhill is an iconic brand. Saatchi & Saatchi would call it a “Lovemark.”
Some people try to explain the importance of Dunhill in marketing terms. Because Alfred Dunhill knew something about marketing, people argue that Dunhill, like Rolex, Jaguar, Apple, Ralph Lauren, etc., is revered for marketing reasons. While this is essentially true, it is also dismissive of clues that lead us to more meaningful insights.

Click the link to read the entire article:

http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/classic-blog-posts/dunhill-pipe-or-icon.html
:idea:

 

[iamn8]

There is something I've given a great deal of thought to, but I've bit my tongue for fear of mob violence, but I think this is as good a time as any to get this out. I read LOTS of text on "smoking performance" and "pipe engineering". Alright given, I'm certainly no expert, but I've smoked around a hundred different pipes. A pipe is a bowl with a hole. I understand there are factors like wood curing, hole diameter, and it's direction. All the pipes I've smoked would be classified as premium pipes. Blindfolded and without my hands, I couldn't tell the difference between any of them. I buy for aesthetics, fit, and finish. IMO "engineering" is crap. Now I'm certain cheap pipes might've been drilled out poorly by a drunkard, but we're talking about drilling a hole. "Engineering"?!? Seriously? Engineers should feel insulted. I appreciate the artistry of these creations, the sculpture, the shapes, but certainly not the "engineering". My $200 Dunhill smokes just like my $1300 Rasmussen which smokes like Bangs and on and on. Only the tactile feel of the briar changes. They all are ignited and provide smoke when I create pressure. Not one of pipes smoke any different than any other. I might like to believe it's so, but FAR more important is my mood, atmosphere, tactile feel and the fuel. It's like asking if eating off fine china makes it any more enjoyable than eating off a paper plate because of its engineering. The end.

Okay.... now please feel free to jump on me 8O