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Ray Brookhouser was my father in law and
passed away on October 5, 2001. I never knew that he was a pipe smoker,
but I should have known by the way his eyes lit up and a smile broke out
on his face when I lit one of mine around him. My wife and I found these
while cataloguing his effects. They are nothing of rarity, nothing
expensive. However, they are now among the most prized elements of my
collection. They are a way for me to keep the spirit of Ray alive in my
heart. |
| I commissioned a special
pipe from Mark Tinsky almost five
years ago. The pipe was to be modeled on the Dunhill 5102, only larger,
around ODA size. I was looking for nice grain and good balance. More
important, though, was a gold band to match the wedding rings that my wife
and I wear. This was to be my "Anniversary Pipe" in celebration
of ten years of marriage. Mark did an outstanding job and this is one of
my most reliable smokes. |
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So Americans like big pipes, right? Here
are two monsters from my collection. In the foreground is my only Mickles.
This pipe has a bowl that is nearly three inches tall! I have had this
thing going for nearly three hours while driving between Houston and
Dallas, Texas. In the background, with equally gargantuan
proportions is a Dunhill 612 Shell from 1976. For purposes of perspective,
that's a US dime , which is about 18mm in width. |
| A couple of Dunhill
"nose-warmers" for your amusement... Up front is a 305 Bruyere
from 1963. The Shell is a 4903 from 1995. Both pipes are right around
three inches long and smoke pretty nicely, despite the weird looks from
other folks. |
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Every now and then Dunhill will make a
pipe with truly stunning grain. I have been fortunate enough to obtain not
one, but two, such pieces. In the foreground is diamond-shanked DR** bent
billiard. Behind it is a massive, plateaux-topped, HT XL Collector. If you
could find a Dunhill like this today, Dunhill would probably require you
to take out a mortgage to afford it! |