Sell me a Dunhill.

[crusader]

O.k. Gents, I have been flirting with Dunhill lately and for all those that are believers of the brand I want to give out a challenge.
If you were a Dunhill salesman, sell me a Dunny. What aspects would you prop up to help justify cost? If prices were all the same between makers how would you promote it as well.
I'm curious.

 

[cynicismandsugar]

You can tell all your friends that you own a Dunhill.

 

[tarheel1]

If it were the same prices as the other British pipes I smoke I would say smoke it for the tradition and history. They were once impeccable pipes made to the highest standards. Not sure it still applies. It was also the father to many pipe brands such as Ashton and Ferndown. If it were not for Dunhill we would not have these brands.

 

[georged]

If you have to be sold, don't go there. You'll just be wasting your money. The Old Britwood fascination is rooted in tradition, history, and Edwardian values concerning gentlemanly comportment, and is 100% emotion-based. Buying old Dunhills, BBBs, Barlings and etc. is a response... the closest thing to a time machine guys like us can afford. But if you don't already feel that attraction/pull, you're unlikely to develop it from simply buying a pipe linked to the period.
If you just want to spend the price of a Dunhill on an English STYLE pipe, have one of America's young lions make it for you. They are technically lightyears ahead of factory Britwood.

 

[pitchfork]

Dunhills are supremely well made. And for certain shapes (the pot, the zulu and the bulldog), nothing looks quite like a Dunhill.
If you're primarily interested in performance and internals, though, you're better off getting a handmade pipe by one of the many skilled craftsmen on the market, today.

 

[easterntraveler]

I do not understand the Dunhill "bug" never had a desire to own one.

 

[warren]

The marque means quality to many people, many of whom do not smoke.

 

[buroak]

pitchfork, Not to be a sower of discord, but I have to disagree about the pot shape; Barling's thick-walled pots strike me as the top of the heap.
crusader, As georged said, the Britwood draw is emotional. There are great smokers in the lot, to be sure, but if you are after the best smoke for your buck and want a NEW pipe, then buy an artisan pipe from a maker who gets the engineering right.

 

[iamn8]

If you have to ask... You're not a Dunhill guy.

 

[pitchfork]

pitchfork, Not to be a sower of discord, but I have to disagree about the pot shape; Barling's thick-walled pots strike me as the top of the heap.

Maybe so, but they don't look like a Dunhill pot. 8) If you like the lean, jaunty look of the Dunhill, you probably don't want a Barling.
Also, keep in mind that the Euro is in the crapper in relation to the almighty dollar, so if you buy from Italy you can get a great deal on a new Dunhill. Much cheaper than buying from Smokingpipes, e.g.

 

[jpmcwjr]

If I were a salesman trying to talk you into a purchase, I'd stress the resale value along with fine smoking attributes and looks.

 

[buroak]

Maybe so, but they don't look like a Dunhill pot. [8)] If you like the lean, jaunty look of the Dunhill, you probably don't want a Barling.

That is fair enough. Jaunty the Barling pots are not.

 

[iamn8]

I ask this question earnestly, but do Dunhill salesman even exist? I think there are Dunhill representatives, but it's difficult to imagine there are those going door to door trying to get you to purchase a Dunhill. Sure, there are clerks at Dunhill stores who'll show you a pipe, but I think it's a bit like going into a Rolls-Royce showroom. They're not there to sell, only to facilitate a purchase.

 

[jmill208]

david555, call this man!!! (crusader)

 

[aggravatedfarmer]

Do I have to drive a Cadillac or can I afford a Cadillac is what you are asking.

 

[philobeddoe]

I own several and they don't smoke any better than my artisan made pipes. That being said, you buy a Dunhill, at least initially, for that little white dot! You are buying into a nostalgia for times past and a love for the classic lines of the traditional briars. As the others have said, Dunhill pipes are iconic and certainly have cache, but if you need to be "sold" on them, you're better off buying something else.

 

[crusader]

Interesting responses so far, thanks for that. I am not really asking if they are worth it but more like why. No I can't afford the higher end ones but the lower half can be reasoned with. From where I am sitting it seems that they are 60% quality %40 prestige. I'm all about getting what you pay for, but, not over paying

 

[iamn8]

I've bought only one new Dunhill, an exception. They make great estates, but I'm not buying them new regularly. Prestige? How many people you know who'd be impressed by a pipe?

 

[dmcmtk]

If you like the lean, jaunty look of the Dunhill, you probably don't want a Barling.

Wes, you're just a lean jaunty guy! :wink:
The older Shells, it's the blast man, the blast! Full disclosure, I only own five; 1935, two early 1940's, 1969, and 1975. I own a lot more Barling's and Sasieni's.

 

[pitchfork]

Wes, you're just a lean jaunty guy! :wink:

:lol:
True about the blasts -- for the older pipes, especially, the blasts can be pretty special. Not so much these days. You'll get a better shell-type blast on an Ashton than a contemporary Dunhill.
Nate wrote:

How many people you know who'd be impressed by a pipe?

Good point. Lots of people are simply appalled. Tobacco!? Smoking?!! But then there's the internetz.