Shell Briar and Tanshell: Patent Stamps, 1917-1954

Shell Briar and Tanshell patent stamps are among the most reliable ways to date Dunhill's sandblasted pipes across a span of roughly forty years. The sandblasting method, registered in 1917, and the earlier-dated inner-tube invention, were stamped side by side on the same pipe for a long time. If you know which country a number belongs to and over what span it was used, you can roughly read which decade a body dates from.

Two Separate Inventions, One Stamp Cluster

The inner tube is a thin aluminum tube running through the shank; it prevents the airway from clogging by collecting tar. Records indicate this device was registered in 1912; on pipes it appears as number 5861/12. Sandblasting's registration year is 1917, though the stamp was used on pipes only from 1918 on, reading as 119708/17. For this reason, early sandblast examples often carry both numbers together. For the method's place in the brand's history, see the History of Dunhill's Shell Briar entry.