Origins of the Dunhill Shell Finish

[pitchfork]

On the thread about whether briar "breathes" or not, we got into a discussion of Algerian briar and the Dunhill Shell finish.
Sasquatch then wrote the following:

The wood out of Algeria today is softer than some other sources, and yes, it's sandier/pittier. Alfred ostensibly was trying to make a harder pipe out of this wood, thus the oil cure. The end of the process was a goopy sticky hard shell of oil (hence the name) that had to be removed. Sandblasting was by necessity, and the results were a textured pipe with the cure Alfred wanted, allowing him to make use of the wood.
Read the patent here: various dunhill patents and see what you make of it, gang! Fun stuff.

From a Dunhill patent submitted 1918 describing the oil curing and sandblasting processes:

http://www.folloder.com/pdf/1341418.pdf
1920/21 Shell:

Also see: http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/the-dunhill-shell-briar-pipe-1918-1958-a-small-gallery-image-heavy

 

[misterlowercase]

Great thread topic Pitch!

:clap:
Forum member Buroak has acquired a possible 1917 specimen which may turn out to be one of the very early Shells.
He is currently seeking advice and opinion from knowledgeable Dunhill collectors.
I'll try to prod him into posting up some pictures of the pipe here in this thread.
::

 

[agnosticpipe]

Very interesting thread, thanks for posting! I find this reason for the "Shell" nomenclature a little more reasonable explanation than the one I'd heard before. Namely, that when Alfred heard the stummels rattling around together, they sounded like shells. Seems to me all stummels would sound the same, sandblasted or not. Fun info! :clap:

 

[andystewart]

I love sandblasted pipes, especially ringblasted as with the Dunhill cross-grain. I have a couple of 1970s Shells and they are just superb pipes, although I have heard some say (foggy, for example) that they can can smoke bitter.
Andy