Another Dunhill Thread? Hell Yes!

[unadoptedlamp]

I've seen a few Dunhill threads and they got me thinking about the Dunhill timeline.

I was going to write something about that, but then decided against it. So here's a new pipe!

I don't collect Dunhill pipes, but I do like their pickaxe shape and the tanshell finish. I wouldn't have searched for a pipe like this without the recent discussion, so thanks!

This one was newly listed, and I don't see them come up very often, so I thought what the hell. I'm still waiting on a pipe from Werner Mummert to come out, so this will have to scratch that itch until then.

Sure, it's a "white spot" (turns head to spit) but I couldn't find any reason why a "white spot" should be any different from a "dunhill" so I can't say branding by a company bothers me as much as it seems to others.

Maybe if the factory replaced all of their machines or relocated to China or something, it could make a difference, but from what I can tell, nothing much seems to have changed and a Dunhill is still a Dunhill.

Or no?

Ha... Well, I guess I just had to share. And post another Dunhill thread, because, why the hell not? Eh?

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

If you like the pipe you should buy it, whatever the name! Here's a good article about The White Spot. Visiting The White Spot - Dunhill Pipes | Smokingpipes.com - https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/visiting-the-white-spot

I've got a pot from 60+ years ago I got for a good price because apparently the shape isn't all that "popular". Swore I'd never get another, but an uncommon shape of Dunhill at a reasonable price caught my eye last night and there you are. Won't ever buy a current or recent year Dunhill or White Spot but not interested in any year more than one off the one I just ordered from about 4+ decades ago or older, so there you are.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

I agree. Obviously, I don't give a damn what other people think about the name Dunhill or Whitespot in any sense of affecting what I would choose to purchase or not.

I don't "collect" these pipes. I just like the dunhill take on the pickaxe shape in this finish. If Eltang had done it in this style, I would have gone for his, as I like his stems very much. But he didn't.

I got it from Tabaccheria Corti, which I think is a site sponsor here. Their price was about $500 less for the same shape/finish when sold by certain U.S. based retailers. Quite significant. Amazingly fast shipping as well. I highly recommend that company and would absolutely purchase something from them again.

That article you posted is interesting. It reaffirms my question about why some people think a "white spot" is somehow different from a "dunhill" in anything but company branding strategies.

Did the Dunhill "factory" change all of their machines out during the 1950's-1960's-2000? Did a group of experienced workers retire en mass? Did Alfred stop directly supervising pipe production or quality control at that time? Has his ghost from the shop been excised at a certain date? Is it just a certain je ne sais quoi?

It's all a lot of hand waving to me. Very interesting at times. I get it, as just about anyone can make an emotional statement without any facts (or very, very limited data points) to back them up -and that can be good fun.

Perhaps we have run the course of Dunhill threads and it should just die...

 

[burleybreath]

There's a war going on. Dunhill dissociated their name from the nasty tobaccco business and called the pipes they issued White Spots. Being P. C. cowards, but with an eye to the bottom line, they still imprinted with tiny letters the name "Dunhill" on each shank next to the larger "White Spot." They are collaborationists, from this pipe smoker's perspective. They're kind of a Vichy France pipe.