Origins of Dunhill and Peterson Pipes?

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sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
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I was at a B&M the other day, and the proprietor, who prided himself on selling truly ancient Dunhills--he showed them to me, they ranged from $700 and higher--insisted that new Dunhills had their stummels made in France, whereas they were later transported to England for stem fitting, and Petersons had their stummels manufactured in Italy, where they were similarly sent to Dublin for stem fitting and nomenclature. Is there any truth to this, or just the eccentricities of an elderly gentleman?

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Pretty good article by R.D. Field:

http://www.rdfield.com/Articles/Dunhill%20Comparison.htm
And Gary B. Schrier sez that the ebauchon turning was moved offshore to Spain, but also this critical bit:
"I understand this. I mean, who goes out of their way --- and at such expense --- to purchase the finest British pipe, knowing full well that half of the pipe had been fabricated in Spain! It used to trouble me, but only somewhat, because when I come across a smashing new Dunhill pipe, it matters not one iota that the piece is not 100% British. Look, the briar root is Mediterranean, and the vulcanite is German. So what are you supposed to call the thing?
It's really no different than an automobile or an airplane, where for so long, outsourcing to foreign lands has been the standard practice. Where it all comes together, at assembly, is the pipe's country of origin and why it should be stamped so. I think what is key to the consumer is that the same exacting high standards of craftmanship still reign supreme with Dunhill goods, whether its pipes are partially made in Spain or, for instance, its leather goods, are stitched up in Germany."


 

pipepuffer

Lurker
Sep 1, 2013
22
0
I heard from that Dunhills still made in England and so far as I know Petersons are made in Ireland.
Bob

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,623
44,833
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
If the pipe is a thing of beauty, who cares if it was made in Spain or Italy rather than England? Your friendly proprietor might be interested to know that back in 1928, Dunhill fought a major battle against Montague Barling when Barling sought that legislation enacted to require that a stamp stating England as the country of manufacture be applied only to pipes actually manufactured in England. You can read about the fight in Jonathan Guss's article on the Barling Transition that was recently published on Roan's excellent site, A Passion For Pipes.

I forget the Dunhill representative's exact phrasing in the transcripts, but it went along the lines of "It would be a disaster" if the law were to be enacted.

 

robski

Lurker
Aug 30, 2013
17
1
Colin Fromm still hand turns a number of Dunhill pipes at the old Invicta factory in Chatham. As for the rest, I've heard Spain mentioned many times

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,149
32,918
Detroit
If the pipe is a thing of beauty, who cares if it was made in Spain or Italy rather than England?
I was there yesterday with Sparrowhawk - at least for the discussion of Dunhills. I believe the point being made by the proprietor was that the quality control on current Dunhills is not up to that of the old ones. I don't know if he's right, or not.
Personally, I don't worry about Dunhills very much - if I had Dunhill-size money to spend on a pipe, I'd be looking at a good American hand-made - a Mark Tinsky, maybe.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
Sablebrush has a legitimate point about the nature of pipes, and the irrelevancy of its country of origin. But I'm something of an Anglophile and have a special affection for Ireland, so I want to know for certain if a given pipe was truly made in England and/or Ireland. My totally unsupported guess: the stummels may be shaped in other countries, but the rest of the work, the sandblasting, the finishing, etc., are done in the countries that are stated on the nomenclature.

After Jud left, btw, the proprietor, at my request, showed me some truly ancient Dunhills. You'd never recognize them as such. But, like Jud, I don't plan on getting a Dunhill, new or old. Even the estate Dunhills cost a body part. I'm very happy with my Hardcastle and Ashton (the B&M proprietor, like others on this site, thought I did well with the Ashton in terms of cost), and I'm making arrangements for a custom pipe to be made. And the Petersons, regardless of origin, are great smokers, although they may not be entirely Irish.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Could you ever guess what the total worth of the Dunhill company is currently?
I wouldn't have guessed the amount below, but then again, I don't really know much about such things...
£32,258,000
which = $50,631,579
https://www.duedil.com/company/00191031/alfred-dunhill-limited
Anyway, that was found by accident, while looking for Tanshell stuff,

but I was reading an old ish of P&T the other day, 15/3 2010, and there was a little bit there of interest in regard to this thread --- I'll transcribe it below:
"The rumors that our Dunhill pipes are made in St. Claude, France, are completely false," Kalmon S. Herner bluntly states. While conducting a tour of the factory floor, Wilson shows two employees working with band saws, cutting blocks and shaping them into rough bowls, and adds, "I think that those rumors started from other companies who are jealous of our position. They're envious of our position and reputation in the market and they want to try to knock us down a little."

 

fishingandpipes

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 24, 2013
654
48
I heard the France thing from someone whose opinion I would generally trust, but I guess rumors spread fast and in all realms.
I'd still buy a newer one for the right price, and in fact this year have. And then sold it because I liked my other pipes better - it was a weird shape though.

 
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