Questions for Dunhill collectors out there

[greatdane]

I am a newbie with a couple of questions for the resident Dunhill collectors on this forum:
1. I have read several places that Dunhill stopped oil curing their pipes in 1967/1968. But has this ever been conclusively verified?
2. Did Dunhill oil cure all all their finishes or just the Root Briar?
3. From a collectors/value perspective, what % premium would you place on Root Briar vs other finishes? I.e. assuming the same shape in same condition, would an estate Root fetch a higher price than a Bryuere or Shell?
Thanks in advance.

 

[sasquatch]

Not quite in order, but for the sake of clarity: The Shell pipes were oil cured. The Shell patent IS the oil curing patent, and the entire process results in iterative sandblasting and oil soaking. The upshot is that no smooth pipe was ever oil cured.
It is generally thought that late 60s early 70s marks the end of any oil curing. I had a New Old Stock shell from 69, I would say it was oil cured, looked identical inside to my also new old stock 42 shell which for sure was.
The smooth pipes are generally worth more because they have always cost more, from every factory - you blast what won't finish as a smooth, of course. There are a few people who poo-poo the shell pipes as being inferior tasting. And a few people who prefer them. So... whatever. The smooth pipes worth more, always, are the DR pipes, which are generally speaking just a better cut of briar (never mind "dead root").
Anyway there's lots of silly bullshit to sort out if you are getting into collecting or reselling. The finish alone is not an indicator of value - you have to factor size, shape (popularity and rarity), date, all of it.

 

[ashdigger]

^^^ Excellent comment and advice.