Change in Dunhills

[foggymountain]

Something besides the label changed in the manufacture of Dunhills during 2012. The coating from inside the bowl and a little stain is now to be found in the draft hole near the bowl. This never used to happen. It probably is the result of a shortcut they have taken. In case Dunhill is listening, and gives a darn, please cut it out. There is no other change I have noticed. It will not affect well smoked estates, but makes the Dunhills less enjoyable to break in, and brings them just a little closer to Peterson.

 

[teufelhund]

Didn't someone else post they had received something lackluster from Dunhill recently? Maybe it is a sign of the times.

 

[john218]

In the past, Dunhill changed the black stain they used and took shortcuts with their stems. After strong negative reaction, they reverted back to the older methods.
However, when I saw news of the change in Dunhill nomenclature, I had an uneasy feeling that it could be indicative of a downhill slide in the brand. Let the bean counters have their say and they could easily go the way of Charatan, Barling, Comoy and Sasieni.
Hopefully, we haven't come to a point in time where Dunhills will be categorized like pre transition Barlings or family era Sasienis as being no longer of the same quality they used to be, but it could happen. There's already some distinction between pre-war, patent number and pre 1967 Dunhills in perceived quality.
If Dunhill quality slides into mediocrity there's Ashton, Upshall and Ferndown are waiting in the wings to earn the title of the premier British brand.
Dunhill has plenty of competition in their market these days, with not only the three British brands I mentioned, but also with Castello, among others, and the many individual craftsmen making pipes these days.
Most of the new high end pipes I've seen shown on the forum are from individual pipe makers.
Dunhill has had a long run and it may be coming to an end. If and when it does, lovers of the brand will mourn the day, but eventually we'll move along.
I wonder how high the price of estate Dunhills will go if that happens.

 

[cigrmaster]

Considering Dunhill's attitude towards their pipe division, it does not surprise me that their quality control may be taking a hit. As mentioned above, there are so many other choices on the market that if they slip even a little, their reputation could go downhill quickly and it may be something they cannot recover from. It really doesn't make a difference to me because I would never pay the going rate for a new Dunhill considering their price points. I can buy an American artisan pipe for less that in my opinion out smokes any Dunhill.

 

[mso489]

Dunhill must be looking over its shoulder. For the price of one middle-size Dunhill in the mid-point of

its price spread, two magnificent Italian handmade artisan pipes with both tradition and creative flair in

the design can be bought. Dunhill can always have its niche, but it must guard its quality for dear life.

 

[numbersix]

Dunhill has had a long run and it may be coming to an end. If and when it does, lovers of the brand will mourn the day, but eventually we'll move along.
I wonder how high the price of estate Dunhills will go if that happens.

+1
Some months ago someone here posted a quote attributed to the current head of Dunhill who apparently wants to disassociate the Dunhill brand from its tobacco and pipe division (as if it were something to be ashamed of) and that this was why the name was changed to "The White Spot".
If this is true, then it wouldn't surprise me if we continue to see the brand go downhill and estates reach even higher prices in the future.