Honestly you can get a better pipe for that price from a couple of American artists, and made just how you want it. I mean, a Dunhill is a Dunhill and nothing else is.... but that much sanding into the bamboo where it meets the shank, plus sanding down the knuckles there, plus the cracks in the bamboo, PLUS getting red stain into those cracks so they stick out like a sore thumb, and the blocky button, and the bowl size to shank proportions being a bit off. It's all subpar to what is coming out of most artisan shops, and some of those guys are in or awful close to that kind of price range. IMHO, YMMV
I agree with Lonestar with one exception: It's sub-par compared with what's coming out of the BETTER artisan shops, not "most" of them. There's certainly no shortage of clunkers among today's "artisan" makers.
Something also worth noting is that the Laws of Physics punish weakness in pipe construction and technique with extra vigor whenever bamboo enters the picture. This sort of thing:
...is distressingly common. It isn't unknown among highly regarded makers who have been making pipes a long time, in fact.
Dunhill learned their lesson a half century ago and decided on the nuclear option instead of fighting a never ending return-for-repairs battle. See the little silver dot in the shank near the bamboo? That's a staked stainless steel pin. (There's one on the other side, too) Result? Their bamboo joints
never fail.
Also, to be fair, that particular specimen isn't typical of the brand. How it passed QA is anyone's guess. If you like bamboo pipes and want a Dunnie, look around. There are many good ones in the world, and they show up as estates semi-regularly.
Or, just save the hassle and hire Ryan to make you one. :lol: He was all over the pipemakers forums in his early days, sponged up info as fast as the Old Hands supplied it, and then actually APPLIED what they said. He's not out to re-invent pipes, he only wants to make really good ones. (And he's gettin' it done right respectable for a whippersnapper. :wink: )
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