Dunhill Author - What Happened??

ssjones · Aug 31, 2015

Ok, the late 70's is considered a low water market for Dunhill pipes. This shape doesn't often show up on an eBay Dunhill. It's smooth and in great shape. Why such a low price?? Other than the odd shape stamp number, the rest of the nomenclature looks correct, as does the stem/button, well, to my eye.
Is there something I missed, or did the buyer get lucky?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stunning-Dunhill-Bruyere-410-E-From-1977-Rare-Shape-Code-Fine-Dunhill-Pipe-/221859157874?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=NMWvBlC7LPw4eMhnchcpV3qlXoI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

lochinvar · Aug 31, 2015

I'm not sure. I will say there is something in the shank/stem area that's throwing my eye off. It could just be the photos, but something looks wonky and I can't really pin what it is.

gloucesterman · Aug 31, 2015

There has been a persistent rumor that Dunhill couldn't keep up with demand in the late seventies and bought stummels from other makers. Given the date code this could be one of those pipes.

beefeater33 · Aug 31, 2015

I agree with Lochinvar-

The stem seems "off"........... I think its authentic and original, but to my eye the pipe lacks grace and style. It just doesn't have the curves of a CK..........Its a nice pipe- just a little "clunky" looking. It almost looks too long (for the style) in the top picture..... Needs a little "George Magic"... 8)

georged · Aug 31, 2015

The stem seems "off"........... I think its authentic and original, but to my eye the pipe lacks grace and style. It just doesn't have the curves of a CK..........Its a nice pipe- just a little "clunky" looking. It almost looks too long (for the style) in the top picture.....

That's how they made 'em then, and probably why it sold for so (relatively) little.
Compare it with this CK from the 1930's:

I've seen near-mint Golden Age specimens like that bring north of $1K. Grace and flow is everything when it comes to authors. Without them they're just lumps.

pitchfork · Aug 31, 2015

It caught my eye, but the odd shape number made me think twice -- not that I suspected anything particular was amiss, just that I don't know enough to know why it isn't a CK. The height of the bowl looks a bit shorter than on most CK's and it looks more squat/flat than rounded and fat like the CK.
At first I thought it might have been topped, but the rim doesn't show evidence of that, at least to my eye.

ssjones · Aug 31, 2015

My '71 CK doesn't look like that 1930's model, but the bowl is a bit taller and a tad shorter.

mso489 · Aug 31, 2015

The Dunhill in the original post link is hardly the prettiest I've seen. Are Dunhill estate prices softening a little lately? It could just be this pipe. It could be a price correction.

dmcmtk · Aug 31, 2015

Topped or not? In profile it looks much shorter from the transition to the rim than the pipes in both George's and Al's pictures...the color tone looks close. Both the inner and outer rim edges look "sharp". The pipe has been "prepared" or "worked on" for the sale. Until I saw another example of the 410E from the same time period, I would say...topped.

rcstan · Sep 1, 2015

Topped? No way. Just a weird 70s shape with weird shape numbers. Here's a 410H from 1976 I smoked for about a year before sending it back into the sea

The OP pipe happens to be a birth year, and the seller could have talked it up a bit more, i.e. bring up the whole CK shape. To me, it's a little disproportionate. It probably smokes well though, never had a Dunnie in unmolested condition that wasn't a good smoker. Whoever had the high bid scored, nevertheless.

samcoffeeman · Sep 1, 2015

I actually think that price is not terribly low. As you mentioned the '70s aren't the most desirable vintage and the shape/grain aren't anythimg to write home about.

xrundog · Sep 1, 2015

Looking at the other posted examples of the shape, I'd say it's been topped. It looks short to me and the rim looks a little thick. I can top a smooth pipe so you'd never be able to tell for sure. And yeah, it's a 70s pipe. Plus, not everybody likes Bruyeres. Nice stem though. All that said, seems like a nice price for that pipe.
But on the issue of proportion, Dunhill makes another shape that looks like the bowl was sawed in half. I derided an eBay example one time and someone who really knows Dunhills said that's how they were made. I was surprised. It's a strange looking model.
So I could be wrong and the simple fact is that nobody wanted to spend more to own that pipe.

disinformatique · Sep 4, 2015

I saw that pipe on ebay and passed on it, it does look like it was topped.

disinformatique · Oct 1, 2015

FML I was born in 1979, have I lost the chance for a great birth-year Dunhill?
:crying:

beefeater33 · Dec 7, 2017

Digging up this old thread, doing some research on a 1976 Shell 410E pipe I just acquired.......... I just received this one today, they don't seem to be too common. This one came with the original box/sock and is unsmoked!.......... :D

It also has the "NOT FOR SALE" stamp on it too, making it a bit of a rarity.......... :D :D

The blast is a bit weak, typical of the mid 1970's pipes, but the stemwork and shaping is pretty good.

I won't put a match to this one, she'll remain unsmoked for now.
This is my Christmas present to myself for this year............ :mrgreen:

zack24 · Dec 7, 2017

A very funky bottom curve...at least a couple of bulges and whoopsie doos going on there....

ssjones · Dec 7, 2017

Merry Christmas Beef! That 410 shape is really something and definitely not one that pops up often.

But, you got to light that up on Christmas Day, come on man!

beefeater33 · Dec 7, 2017

Thanks Al!............ I may just smoke it on Christmas Day after all!........... :D

A very funky bottom curve...at least a couple of bulges and whoopsie doos going on there....

Zach, the shaping is pretty good "in hand", at least to my eye........ I think my poor photography skills aren't doing it justice!!

zack24 · Dec 7, 2017

Sorry, I should have been clear- I was talking about the pipe Al posted....The shaping on yours is quite nice..Take my comments and go look at Al's picture in the first post- Look at how the bottom line falls in between the bowl and shank and bulges out at the shank stem transition. you'll see what I mean...
Here's one of mine that i was somewhat happy with...a couple of details I could do better in retrospect....(and in defense of the Dunhill guy- he probably finished more pipes in a week than I make in a year...and some of them might have been on Mondays after a rough weekend...)

ssjones · Dec 7, 2017

Zack is right, the original pipe at the top of the thread has a little more junk-in-the-trunk that your 410. I think George's comments also inferred the same.

Dunhill Author - What Happened??

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