Dunhill is a myth. No, Dunhill is more than a myth. Dunhill is lifestyle and legend in one. Style, timeless elegance and traditional stable quality are the facts, that Alfred Dunhill's products became the most popular and best-known pipe trademark in the world.
In 1893, Alfred Dunhill founded a company for manufacturing of harness and saddle soon, according to the new spirit in order to furnishing accessories for automobiles. Inspired by the needs of modern man, who was at this time of technical progress interested in innovations, "Dunhill Motorities" produced other coveted luxury goods - pipes. For the state-of-the-art-driver, it was in 1904, when the birth of the "Wind Shield Pipe" happened, the market leading position in customer-related pipe production was grounded
In 1910, the foundation stone for the first pipe factory was placed. Two principles that today just as important as the time, were established as guiding principle: Firstly, only the best materials are used for pipes and these may be processed only by carefully trained experts, on the other hand, ther must be offered an excellent pipe to an adequate price. Especially this guidance gave the possibility to present this outstanding products to a circle of gourmet smokers, promising, that a Dunhill pipe lasts for a life.
A more particular feature and really the definitive trademark of the brand Dunhill is the discreet white point, which in 1915 was originally introduced for purely practical purposes. As more smokers had problems with classic shapes and straight mouthpieces to recognize the top, it was simply a white dot placed on the upside of the mouthpiece.
Through the turmoil of World War I, Dunhill was spread over almost the whole of Europe from England and overseas. In the 1920s, shops were established in New York and Paris. Due to large demand, the standardization of pipe shapes in a special "shape chart" was established.
World War II caused many problems for Dunhill. Not only exports to Europe had become impossible, even the supply of coveted raw materials have been recruited. During the reconstruction time, Dunhill intensified his contacts to America and became the epitome of classic pipe enjoyment.
With many innovations in production technology, the first sandblasted pipe models, a special treatment of the burning chamber by means of "oil curing" and constantly new innovations explain the determined market-leading position of the company in the area of high-class smoking products.