Is this normal drilling for a Dunhill bent?

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May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
I just purchased this circa 1980 unsmoked Dunhill 3214 Root Briar, which is a group 3 bent Dublin from Paul's Pipe Shop in Flint, MI. It will pass a pipe cleaner, but only if the tip is bent. The draft hole is drilled at the very top of the mortise and certainly not in line with the draft hole in the stem, which is dead center in the tenon. The only thing saving the draft on this pipe is the 1/4" of extra space between the bottom of the mortise and the end of the tenon.
Is this common for a Dunhill bent? I have a 1970s bent that has a draft hole drilled nearly as high, but with an enormous draft hole in the tenon (perhaps for a 6mm filter?). It smokes fine.
As a side note, I was pretty disappointed in the service from Paul's. The stem was dull and tasted very bitter from oxidation. Clearly, no attempt was made to buff the stem. Particularly with a pipe at this price, it should be buffed at the time of delivery. Also, my expectation when I buy a new pipe (not an unsmoked estate), even if it's NOS, that it has a pipe sock and box. This came with neither.
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aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I have a Barling bulldog that is drilled just like that, and since it is a straight pipe, I have no idea why. Maybe it's just an English thing.

 

workman

Lifer
Jan 5, 2018
2,793
4,219
The Faroe Islands
I bought a Dunhill Rhodesian that was drilled like that. It would not pass a pipe cleaner. I think it was from the 70's. I wasn't pleased, so I contacted the shop and they agreed to a refund. I chose to swap it for a Peterson 999 rhodesian instead.

 

sasquatch

Lifer
Jul 16, 2012
1,683
2,862
Dead normal. The brits never bought into this whole "let's line up the holes" nonsense.
Buy Castellos or North American Artisan pipes if this is problematic for you.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,256
108,360
Don't feel too bad, my first Dunhill experience was a straight billiard that wouldn't pass a cleaner.

 
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