Baby's First Dunhill

[baronsamedi]

I just won a Dunhill Shell Briar on the Bay for $100. Looks to be in good condition with just some oxidation, wear and a little cake. The seller claims no scratches or cracks and has a money back guarantee, so I bit.
My question is the nomenclature. I know nothing of the Dunhill Alphabet soup and I was wondering if any of you Dunhill guys could give me a ballpark on the date. Looks like it reads 59 F/T Dunhill Shell Briar Made in England (4)S. How old is this critter? I just thought "Hey a Dunhill!, no reserve!" and bid a max of $100.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-DUNHILL-SHELL-BRIAR-ESTATE-SALE-PIPE-EXCELLENT-CONDITION-NO-RESERVE-/271060155023?item=271060155023&ViewItem=&nma=true&si=2v0JBXUDzflc%2B54EHg2D0xJYsuc%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[hawk60ce]

NIce score

 

[baronsamedi]

My wife was more than reasonable about her birthday present this year so I said, "What the Hell!"
I had planned to buy her a $300 handbag, but she opted for a pair of shoes that were a fraction of that. Naturally she'll have a dozen roses coming her way and probably dinner, but it left me plenty of wiggle room for selfish purchases.

 

[keith929]

Looks like you got a good deal. Try this site for date info.
http://pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/index.html

 

[damnyak]

You would be able to tell the year by a small number after the "D" in England..

 

[akpipe]

That is a "great score" indeed. A group 4 billiard made in the fifties ( I think ) if I understand the nomenclature correctly. I'll wait for an expert to chime in.

 

[numbersix]

Congrats Baron - a nice looking Dunhill.
For some help, you may want to check out these links:
http://www.pipes.org/Articles/Dunhill/ID.html
http://www.cupojoes.com/dunhill_shape_chart.html

 

[topd]

Looks like a good snag for a C note... Congrats!

 

[cigrmaster]

baron, too hard to tell from the pics but if it has a patent number then it could be worth 3 times what you paid. Either way it is a great score. Congrats.

 

[baronsamedi]

Judging from what poking around I can do and what the number after England looks like I'd say it's either a 1961 or 1967. It would be cool if it was a '61. That's my wife's birth year!
Looking at similar pipes, it's probably worth about what I paid or maybe a little more. Not bad for a first shot, providing it's OK.

 

[tbradsim1]

Baron I believe it is a 64, I have the same pipe as you with a 3 after Englsnd, IMHO it is a 64 and you got a very sweet deal. The old cajun

 

[baronsamedi]

Thanks, Old Cajun! As long as it smokes I will be sure to treasure it!

 

[martiniman]

sweet deal Baron, I couldn't see the letters and couldn't get Keith's link to work.

Try this.Dunhill Dating Key

 

[keith929]

Sorry about that Baron. Martiniman has the link I was trying to send you.

 

[baronsamedi]

Great news! The seller just contacted me and said he was going to ship it while in the States (as opposed to Quebec) and instead of 18 days to ship it will be more like a week!

 

[bentmike]

Nice! congrats baron. I hope to own a Dunhill at some point. Definitely will be waiting for pics once you receive it.

 

[baronsamedi]

I'm still watching for my '73 Root Briar, but no luck yet. Next one I buy new will be a TRG though. I'm also working on designing a Baron Samedi Meerschaum so Storient can have made for me.

 

[allan]

Hi all. My first post on this forum.
I've been smoking for about 40 years, started with pipes and went to cigars. Crazy about cigars but decided 2 months ago to switch back to pipes and thankfully I saved my favorite 3 Petersons. They served me well when I used them and really had no experience in any other brand.
In reading about pipes, the name Dunhill kept on coming up as the standard bearer of a great pipe. So I figured I needed to try one, but the prices??!!

I researched and studied everything I could about Dunhill in this forum as well as other forums and web sites.
I decided the best value, at least initially, was to get a used refurbished Dunhill in a shape that I wanted; bent.
I started bidding on Ebay and finally got one in a cumberland finish (i really only liked polished, but...)
When it finally came in from Germany, I was surprised at how light the pipe was compared to the Peterson's. It is a group 4 pipe with a nice deep bowl. Since the pipe was cleaned out, I am dutifully filling it only 1/2 way each time I smoke it, and I'm not using my usual aromatic from De La Concha in NYC, but another non flavored blend.
So do I think its worth the extra money? Well, I'm going to give it a tentative yes. The draw is completely different, much smoother, and the pipe weight is nice on my teeth.
I look forward to another Ebay Bryer coming in for a Xmas present from my wife and trying that out.

Hey, I loved my Peterson's, but I'm very happy I am able to afford the Dunhill.
I will keep you informed as I progress.
Thanks for listening

Allan

 

[flmason]

I hope you enjoy your new pipe as well as Christmas with your family and friends.

 

[cigrmaster]

Welcome to the site allan. Congrats on your first Dunhill, they are indeed much different than a Peterson. There is no need to fill it half way to smoke, you do not need to break it in because it has been done already. I think you will find that there are many pipes out there that will give you a superior smoke to a Peterson. If you are ever in need of advice, the guys here can give you their experience with just about every pipe that is made. Don't be afraid to ask questions, we all like to give our opinions.