The Dunhill 5102 Bent Billiard
There are two primary areas of focus in my Dunhill collection, the Dunhill Duke and the 5102 Bent Billiard. What is the best pipe for you? What is the pipe you are most comfortable with? When I use my mind's eye, the pipe that I always see is the bent billiard. The proportion, curve, and shape just feels right to me. Below you will see examples of the Dunhill 5102 in every finish that Dunhill has ever produced. Now, I worry about expanding the collection to include all of those wonderful variations on a theme...
| From top to bottom: "standard" Shell finish, Chicago 1992 RTDA commemorative, Shell with Bell Spigot, and Shell with two-knuckle bamboo extension. | |
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The elegant Cumberland finish. |
| Auntie Em, come quick! It's a Red Bark, it's a Red Bark! With a Bell Spigot, no less! | |
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A 5102 in the venerable Tanshell finish. I'm very encouraged to see that Dunhill is beginning to reintroduce this finish. |
| Here is an example of the often misunderstood County finish. A "browner" Tanshell with a Cumberland stem. I think it's an attractive piece... | |
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Top piece is a Dress finish. Bottom piece, although it looks just like a Dunhill Dress finish, is actually a Black Briar with a silver spigot. Very elegant and classy... perfect with a tuxedo... |
| A beautiful cross-cut in the Chestnut finish. | |
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Just a few bird's eyes to enjoy on this near-perfect example of a 5102 in the hard-to-find Russet finish. |
| Another fine example of a 5102. This one is in the original Dunhill Bruyere finish. | |
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Okay, so this pipe doesn't really look like a 5102. The bowl is more brandy glass shaped than a 5102 should be. Hey, Dunhill isn't consistent with their shapes! Anyway, it does say 5102 on it, so there! |
| You can't have a complete set without a Root Briar finish... This was the first 5102 that I ever purchased. I still smoke it on a very regular basis! | |
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This is certainly one of my prized possessions. It is an unsmoked, cased 5102 Root Briar from the 1991 RTDA Show in San Francisco. According to Howard Smith, of Dunhill, there were about 12 of these made for very special retailers of Dunhill products. The trolley car adornment is gold vermeil, which is sterling silver with a fine gold overlay. Eventually, this pipe *will* get smoked by me. Just waiting for the right time and place... |