My first Estate Dunhill since I started Considering Myself a Pipe Smoker

[cshubhra]

Thank you all - I will let you know how it smokes. I also did a little research on the seller. He mostly buys stuff, and suddenly he is selling a bunch of pipes - which makes me think he is a smoker who have decided to downsize.
After it arrives, I will post some proper photos!

 

[pitchfork]

The spot is large, but I've seen 60s Dunhills with oddly large dots. The button looks spot-on to me, as does the bend in the stem. Are we sure it's a replacement?
Here's one (54 F/T) for comparison:

And another ('68):

 

[cshubhra]

Thank you pitchfork- gives me confindence!

 

[jefff]

Pulvers Briar, Briar Blues, Pipe Stud.... those are about the only people I'd trust on any "estate" pipe, no matter the make.
I am sure there are others. I just don't know enough not to get screwed on Ebay

 

[georged]

This is a strange one.
Al's noting that it's a Grp. 2 (I missed it---check the circle and enlarge/enhance... yup, it's a "2") definitely COULD be why the dot looks so disproportionately large. Have to be a hella small #2, though. I've only seen a few Grp 1s that were that small.
And the goofy elbow-bent stem/shank fit in one pic does not show up in one of the others.
Meaning if that's some trick of the light---the stem is actually straight---and the pipe is a Grp2-sized Group 1, and the shank wasn't sanded to fit a rep but just buffed to hell, the stem COULD be original. The button looks right, anyway.
No doubt about the chamber having been over-reamed, though.
Bottom line: It's possible that the pipe IS worth a hundred bucks. No way to be sure until having it in hand, though. The photos are just too weirdly ambiguous.
I think you'll be surprised how small it is if that's a legit Dunhill stem & dot, though. Like a wee leprechaun peep. Probably 4.5 inches and 15 grams or so.
If you have the means, OP, please take some more pics when you receive the pipe. This is one of the better visual mysteries to come along in a while.

 

[pitchfork]

I think you'll be surprised how small it is if that's a legit Dunhill stem & dot, though. Like a wee leprechaun peep. Probably 4.5 inches and 15 grams or so.

Hadn't thought of that. Not sure what kind of pipe sock that is, but it kind of dwarfs the pipe. Personally, I'd love group 2 pipe under 20 grams!
If it's a replacement stem, a picture of the slot could show for sure.

 

[cshubhra]

I am getting intrigued more and more- looking closely at the photos.
The photos were taken at extremely close distance - that explains the shallow depth of field

Almost always the background is in focus

If, it was taken with a wide angle lens - (point and shoot, phone camera, etc... if will suffer distortion which I think is the case

The camera was not held straight which introduces more distortions

The stem is slightly rotated - 15 degrees or so
I need to take better pictures when it comes.

 

[cshubhra]

Picture comparison
My Brand New Savinelli Silver 606 EX (Extra Large pipe bought less than a month ago from smoking pipes. Taken in similar light, with an iphone, similar position

The Savinelli is huge (6.13 inches long, 0.88 inches chamber diameter, 1.69 inches outside diameter, 65 grams in weight)

Yes, I would agree this is a small pipe

 

[dmcmtk]

I won't comment on the stem, the jury still seems to be out. The slot, and better pictures may give more information. That being said, I have seen where smaller Duhill's do make the dot look larger, and as others have mentioned, the size of the dot has changed over time. My question is the dating of the pipe...? Is that a 1 and a 3, or a 13? The 1 and 3 are above the D in ENGLAND, made in 1961 and not sold until 1963? Are those two numbers smaller than the D in ENGLAND? Or is it a 13 for 1973, where one would expect the numbers to be in line with the D in ENGLAND and the size of the suffix number is the same as the D in ENGLAND. The mysteries of this pipe are yet to be revealed...
As an aside, the pipe looks like it's been topped a bit. How much? It would need to be compared to another 54. The "Smoked maybe two times"...I'm just not believing that.

 

[kenbarnes]

My opinion is that it is definitely a replacement mouthpiece as the stamping has faded more towards the fit which is normal when sand papering the new mouthpiece flush with the shank. Another indicator is that when Dunhills touched up the stain which they removed, it shows up slightly lighter at the fit and the third sign is that the fit may not be spot-on which is not really unusual when re-fitting with a new mouthpiece. As far as the size of the spot is concerned, my idea is that the supplier of these rods (for white-spotting) sent Dunhills a batch which were a slightly larger diameter and this could have gone un-noticed and the pipe - workers just assumed this was a new idea from the management and never questioned it until........

Nice pipe though.