Why Did Dunhill Stop Producing Blends?

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Corcoran-Rooney

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And when did they stop, and does anyone know if they have any plans to begin blending again?
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
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Dunhill largely ceased making its blends around 1980, shifting manufacturing to Murray's and some to McConnell, during a period of mergers and acquisitions more incestuous than the Romanovs, or even West Virginia. Ultimately licensing rights to the Dunhill name for its tobacco products became the property of BAT, who subsequently licensed it to STG after Murrays ceased production in the early 2000's. After Dunhill decided to discontinue its association with pipe tobaccos in 2017, the STG branded Dunhill blends were discontinued after a grace period of 18 months. Ultimately STG bought the rights to everything but the Dunhill name and was able to restart their production line, using the Peterson logo, which STG owns, instead.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
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And when did they stop, and does anyone know if they have any plans to begin blending again?
Dunhill hasn't produced blends since the '80s. The name has bounced around blending houses for years until the Dunhill company decided to bow out of the market a couple of years ago. Even the pipes dropped the Dunhill name in favor of Alfred Dunhill's White Spot in 2011. Many if the modern Dunhill blends now bear a Peterson label.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
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Southern Oregon
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For some reason I was thinking it was because they didn't want their name associated with pipe tobacco, which never made any sense to me because what else do they sell besides tobacco related products.
Pipes and tobaccos was only one of the Dunhill businesses. They were a supplier of all manner of gentlemen's goods, including leather, jewelry, apparel, accessories, and so forth. They had a wide range of business interests in the luxury goods trade.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
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Pipes and tobaccos was only one of the Dunhill businesses. They were a supplier of all manner of gentlemen's goods, including leather, jewelry, apparel, accessories, and so forth. They had a wide range of business interests in the luxury goods trade.
yeah their business was high end fancy pants stuff. These days pipe smoking and tobacco outside of cigars just aren't associated with the image of stupidly decadent luxury that Dunhill considers themselves to service. I'll put it this way even in the 90's seeing Dunhill cigarettes, pipe tobaccos, and the like didn't seem odd. I could imagine seeing a package or tin or twelve at store I can't begin to afford to shop at or on a table at a Yacht party. Now that image seems somewhat archaic. Times change and people and businesses adapt. The thing is we don't lose anything from that and maybe gain more.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
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Bravo to sablebrush for keeping all that in mind. When Dunhill discontinued the use of its name, there was a general panic about never seeing the blends again. Of course, Peterson eventually picked up the licenses and off we go again. Right now we just have the best-sellers, but perhaps others will surface over time.
 
Is what Dunhill is now. Brings to mind children of billionaires, eating caviar on yachts, skateboarding, and trying to decide which luxury car to go out drinking and driving in this weekend…. in a $200 tshirt with Dunhill emblazoned across their chest. All the while coughing when a smoker gets too close and making fun of old men with pipes.
Nope, I just don’t think Dunhill will stay linked to pipes, except within a small circle of old men, who will do their best to keep Dunhill linked to pipes in utter futility, against the wishes of the Dunhill conglomerate.
 

karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
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Basel, Switzerland
Is what Dunhill is now. Brings to mind children of billionaires, eating caviar on yachts, skateboarding, and trying to decide which luxury car to go out drinking and driving in this weekend…. in a $200 tshirt with Dunhill emblazoned across their chest. All the while coughing when a smoker gets too close and making fun of old men with pipes.
Nope, I just don’t think Dunhill will stay linked to pipes, except within a small circle of old men, who will do their best to keep Dunhill linked to pipes in utter futility, against the wishes of the Dunhill conglomerate.
I know you may be sarcastic, but I think it is exactly like that, and very sad indeed.

Aside from the formal clothes and shoes there, all the rest looks like shit to my eyes, sweatpants, knitwear and leather trousers WTF. Long way away from this photo
 

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I know you may be sarcastic, but I think it is exactly like that, and very sad indeed.
Aside from the formal clothes and shoes there, all the rest looks like shit to my eyes, sweatpants, knitwear and leather trousers WTF. Long way away from this photo
I’d be curious…. if someone wrote a recent book about the beginnings of Dunhill and their pipes glorified up till now, whether the Dunhill conglomerate would give the Ok for release of Dunhill trademarks, or whether the author would have to just write it without permission, or if merely the White Spot factory would be the final word. My money is that Dunhill wouldn’t give the OK. Just look through that website. They don’t want anything to do with old men smoking pipes. They are a whole new planet now.
 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
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I know you may be sarcastic, but I think it is exactly like that, and very sad indeed.

I’d be curious…. if someone wrote a recent book about the beginnings of Dunhill and their pipes glorified up till now, whether the Dunhill conglomerate would give the Ok for release of Dunhill trademarks, or whether the author would have to just write it without permission, or if merely the White Spot factory would be the final word. My money is that Dunhill wouldn’t give the OK. Just look through that website. They don’t want anything to do with old men smoking pipes. They are a whole new planet now.

Countless books and articles are written without permission that mention trademarked goods (think Disney, Ford, Apple, ad nauseam) . I'm sure that qualifies as fair use.
 
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Jan 30, 2020
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Do they make them? Doubt it very much. They sell them, though, attaching a high value to the use of their trademarks and cachet.
yeah, no idea on manufacture. I just know they have Dunhill branded on them, sell them online and when I was in a physical Dunhill store in early 2020 before things shut down, they had a display case of them along with the mens clothing/accessories.
 
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