Ladies pipe with interchangable bowls, circa 1918.

To stock his shop, ready-made pipes were imported from France, but from 1910 on, Dunhill began stamping his name on the shanks. However, Alfred’s penchant for perfection soon led him to establish a pipe factory next to his Duke Street store, so that he could better control the fit and finish of the French-supplied briars. Interestingly, it was because of the resultant perfect fit of the Dunhill mouthpiece to the shank that one of the world’s most famous logos - the Dunhill “white spot” - was created in 1912. In order to enable the factory workers to determine which side of the bit was “up” when fitting it to the shank of the pipe, a hole was drilled in the vulcanite, into which a thin ivory rod was inserted. The ivory was then trimmed flush with the bit and polished to form an inset “white spot.” Thus, the now-famous Dunhill logo was born, a symbol that is still found on every Alfred Dunhill pipe today, albeit with the “spot” now fashioned of high-grade acrylic.

In short order, the original Dunhill store had doubled in size, until it completely wrapped around the corners of Duke and Jermyn Streets. To keep up with demand, a larger pipe factory was established in London. By 1916, the highly prestigious Dunhill pipes were selling for approximately three times as much as competing brands. Quality control reached even greater heights in 1920, when Alfred Dunhill began turning his own bowls in a specially-built factory near King’s Cross.

Diamond and Platinum "H" grade straight grain pipe in presentation box, 2002

In 1921, Alfred Dunhill inadvertently started a process that would end up making his pipes the most collectable of all briars. One of the first things any pipe collector wants to know about a pre-war briar is, “When was it made?” And yet, with rare exceptions, Alfred Dunhill pipes are the only vintage briars that can be pinpointed as to the exact year of manufacture. And like the creation of the “white spot,” this unique feature happened by accident. Beginning in 1921, Alfred Dunhill began stamping the shank with a year number, and from 1930 to 1954, with a patent number, so the guarantee on the pipe could be honored. This date-by-year numbering system continues to this day. While the various nuances and individual codes are too complex for this article, a complete authenticated listing can be found in my book, Rare Smoke: The Ultimate Guide To Pipe Collecting (Autumngold Publishing).

But superior workmanship and accurate dating of the pipes aren’t the only reasons Alfred Dunhill products have become the most popularly collected briars in the world. For both the pipe smoker and collector, there is infinite variety to be found in the various Alfred Dunhill finishes. In order of appearance, the currently available finishes are: Bruyère (the original finish on the very first pipe, beginning in 1910, and still one of the most popular); Shell (a rough-textured black sandblast pioneered by Alfred Dunhill in 1914 and now widely copied); Root Briar (introduced in 1931 and one of the most sought-after - and costly - finishes, as the natural, unstained briar is only reserved for the best-grained bowls); Tanshell (a light tan sandblast that first made its appearance in 1952); Dress (a smooth, black-stained pipe brought out in 1973); Cumberland (a medium-brown sandblast with a smooth, polished bowl rim and a brown marbleized bit, it was brought out in 1979); Chestnut (first made in 1983, this smooth-finished walnut stained briar sports the same marbleized bit as the Cumberland); Amber Root (re-introduced in 1995, this rich, yellow-orange stain is matched with a Cumberland bit and is reminiscent of the old “bowling ball” Dunhills of the 1930s); Amber Flame (created in 2000, this flame-grained briar exhibits an elegant, medium-brown stain that falls somewhere between a Root Briar and a Bruyère).

Island of amethyst, with 18 ct gold rests, and five amethyst pipes, circa 1975

Another popular collecting category is the tremendous variety of Alfred Dunhill pipe shapes, many of which are synonymous to the brand and include the Cavalier, Vest Pocket, and Don. Some of the most actively sought pipes in the current shape-collecting category are the Oversized Dunhills, six otherwise standard shapes (Billiard, Apple, Bulldog, Dublin, Prince, and Rhodesian) that feature extra-large bowls. These pipes are stamped OD, with the subsequent letter, such as ODA and ODB, denoting progressively larger sizes. Once popular in the 1950s, these pipes are periodically reissued whenever suitable-sized bowls can be found.

Then there are the straight grain designations, perhaps the ne plus ultra of pipe collecting. With Alfred Dunhill, this category takes on a whole new aura of exclusitivity. The rarest straight grains are stamped DR (which stands for “Dead Root,” referring to the underground burl of the heath tree from which the oldest and usually best-figured briar is cut). Currently, the DR series ranges from one to six stars; the more stars, the tighter and more uniform the grain. Beyond that, the DR designation ventures into the stratosphere of rarity with alphabetical letters, starting with DRG, and the even scarcer DRH.

Although very few DRHs have ever been produced, just such a bowl was recently uncovered as it was being hand-turned from an ancient burl, which proves that rarity is not just locked in the past. This particular pipe may very well end up being the most valuable Alfred Dunhill briar ever created. It is an exquisite Root Briar Oversized Dunhill straight grain DRH (the first DRH produced in recent times) that has been crowned and banded with 10 karats worth of diamonds that have been set into a platinum bowl rim and band. Even the presentation box that houses and protects this pipe is uniquely designed, with a weighted base that acts as a counter-balance when the lid it lifted. As of this writing, there is an attempt to get this platinum and diamond-studded Alfred Dunhill DRH acknowledged by The Guinness Book of World Records. With an estimated value of $150,000, it stands a good chance of receiving this recognition.

The Bear Pipe and matching Dunhill lighter, circa 1982.

Indeed, the creation of exquisite and one-of-a-kind pipes has become a way of life for Alfred Dunhill. The company is one of the most active of all pipemakers in creating special limited-edition commemoratives, such as their 1987 Sherlock Holmes Commemorative and the Millennium pipe in 1999. Although not the first to offer the pipesmoking world a Christmas pipe, Dunhill was the first to individually number their annual Yuletide offerings, which have been issued since 1980. In the fall of this year, Alfred Dunhill will be bringing out the tenth pipe in their Twelve Days of Christmas series. Limited to just 500 pieces worldwide, this pipe will be themed Ten Pipers Piping. Like all pipes in the series, it will come with a matching sterling-silver tamper and housed in a traditional 1930s-style leather book-case.

But “the gentle art of smoking” doesn’t stop with pipes. Alfred Dunhill applies its expertise to the cigar smoker as well. In fact, during the 1920s and ’30s, the London store was known for letting their Havana cigars rest in climate-controlled cedar cabinets for months before they could be sold, in order to ensure they would be properly aged when finally offered to customers. Today, Alfred Dunhill stores’ humidors are known for their selection of exclusive and hard-to-find cigars, including the OpusX, Ashton VSG, and Hoyo de Monterrey VR (Very Robust).

Dunhill "OD" - Own Design Pipe, circa 1929.

The company also specializes in accessories that include tobacco pouches, pipe knives, reamers, tampers, cigar cutters, and humidors. Although a number of their designs are innovative, many haven’t changed for decades, enabling the collector to pick up a technically nostalgic piece that is still brand new. Recently, there have also been re-issues of classic Alfred Dunhill lighter designs from the 1920s and ’30s. Although not a re-issue, one of the most successful and long-lived lighters is their Unique, originally offered in 1927. It was the first lighter that could be operated with one hand. Today the only changes to this classic design have been its conversion to butane and, on certain models, angling the flame to 45 degrees for pipe smokers. Alfred Dunhill was also the first major company to offer cigar cases that could accommodate 54-ring Churchills. But, in addition to carrying their own exclusive brand of pipes and accessories, Alfred Dunhill stores are probably best personified by their extensive line of My Mixture tobaccos, many of which date back to Alfred’s early days on Duke Street.