Dunhill... sell your recipes!

jfreedy · August 2017

I just read some of the Dunhill panick posts. I believe they're getting out of the pipe tobacco market mainly due to profit margins. They are a business and have to maximize there financials. As a business owner... I get it. Releasing products that aren't as profitable to increase the company's bottom line is smart business. So, since they are a smart business would it not also be smart to simply sell their pipe tobacco recipes to another tobacco manufacturer. They could make $$ on their way out and someone else could make a killing on keeping their tobacco line alive. This seems pretty simple to me. Am I missing something?

Charles · August 2017

@jfreedy -- Selling the Dunhill pipe tobacco recipes to another tobacco manufacturer is a great idea and may be realized at some point, especially if Dunhill is looking to make some additional money. However, there is no guarantee that the same Dunhill quality will follow. Manufactures tend to select tobacco differently and whom ever purchases the Dunhill recipes (should they in fact be sold) may not purchase the same tobaccos as the original Dunhill company. Good example: smoke Dunhill's Early Morning Blend the smoke the match blend that is offered on Pipes & Cigars. Compare the two tobaccos and decide which is a better smoke. I personally did not care for the match blend as it lacks something. But that is just my opinion.

jfreedy · August 2017

@Charles -- I see how a match blend might not "match" up to the original. But, I'm sure that's because they are trying to figure out what the original blend actually is. I'd assume if they had the exact recipe they'd get pretty darn close. You make a good point about not using the exact same tobaccos. I'm sure this could be part of the overall package that Dunhill would sell to them. They would not only have their recipes but also their the same tobacco suppliers/vendors. I'm sure these suppliers would love the chance to keep selling to the new company.

daveinlax · August 2017

I think this might have something to do with with BAT buying Reynolds and streamlining their portfolio. The premium Dunhill cigarette brands are what makes money in house. The pipe tobacco and cigars are a blip on the radar and the production is outsourced. I doubt they would sell a small part of the brand and take a chance on damaging the luxury image of the Dunhill brand.

I should also say I wouldn't be surprised if the pipe tobacco and cigars return or really never leave the market after all

PappyJoe · August 2017

Have to say I agree with @daveinlax on not being surprised if the pipe tobacco and cigars return or never leave the market.
I have a slightly different take on why Dunhill is divesting itself of pipes and tobacco. In my opinion it has to do with a younger generation of management who believe that producing and selling tobacco products damages the public image the now want Dunhill to portray. They are anti-smoking and probably cringe every time someone mentions Dunhill pipes or Dunhill tobaccos.

motie2 · August 2017

Back when Dunhill was drop-dead-serious about finely crafted tobacco pipes......

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029410/uploads/editor/gl/fmux55e2gnmm.png

daveinlax · August 2017

AD Limited split off the tobacco brands off decades ago. The tobacco has been owned by and been merged into Carreras, Rothman and BAT and now BAT is buying Reynolds. AD Limited goes on as usual within the luxury brand Richemont. Like many world wide companies the ownership is complicated and I know our host's brand Lane Ltd has figured in to both sides of Dunhill over the years.
Just know that Dunhill is the number one luxury Cigarette brand in the world and everything else including AD Limited is just a blip on the radar.

TaylorJDutton · January 2018

@PappyJoe this may be a dumb question, but if dunhill ceases to sell pipes and tobacco, what do they have going for them? what will be their focus?

PappyJoe · January 2018

@TaylorJDutton look them up. They have been a big name in men’s fashion and accessories since before they got started in Pipes and Tobacco

TaylorJDutton · January 2018

@PappyJoe ill check them out now, ive always wondered if their pipes were worth the money, seeing as how that have a name in fashion, the price point makes sense now

Charles · January 2018

About the only Dunhill products I purchase are their tobacco and cologne as I like them both. Would love to have one or two of their pipes but can't seem to justify spending that kind of money. I will stick with my Petersons. I can't justify spending more than $250 for a pipe.

Anthony · January 2018

I would agree that this may never really happen, and given the many smoking and non smoking products they have. I don't think they can ever separate themselves from being a tobacco, and smoking accessory company. I sadly do not have one of there pipes and do wonder if, there worth the price. I will say I do have one of there lighters, I've had it for 36 years still works perfectly, and still looks great, I've had it tuned up once in all those years. I can't say the same for all the ronson's and calibre's I had before it. so in that case I guess it was worth the extra it cost.

ghostsofpompeii · January 2018

I have the feeling that as time passes Dunhill will realize they made a major blunder but by then it will probably be too late for them to rectify their mistake. The pipe community will discover replacement blends with similar flavor profiles and we'll have moved on. Someone will say, "Have you tried "X-Blend" it taste amazingly similar to "Early Morning Blend" or "Nightcap" or "Elizabethan Mixture" or some other Dunhill blend - for a few bucks less." Then "X-Blend" will be your new go to daily smoke.

PappyJoe · January 2018

My understanding - and I may be wrong - is that Dunhill hasn't actually made pipes since sometimes in the 1970s. New pipes named Dunhill were being made in sold after that point, but they were actually carved in France and the stems were put on them in England. The pipes made today no longer have the name Dunhill on them and are now named White Spot. One of the distance relatives of Alfred Dunhill is supposed to be the owner of White Spot.

daveinlax · January 2018

"and I may be wrong"
The bowls are cut in other places like France and Italy. Dunhill gets the clean wood. They hand cut the stems from rod stock, blast, sand and finish the pipes in house. The White Spot Pipe is very old trademark of Alfred Dunhill Ltd.. You can see the pipes branded as The White Spot Pipe on signs in pictures going back to the early days.

The pipes are stamped

Alfred
The White Spot
Dunhill

This is the second nomenclature change since I've been collecting Dunhill pipes over 30 (I'm the new guy in the hobby)years
It was the Big Block DUNHILL then the "Tails" dunhill in the ellipse now this.

motie2 · January 2018

@daveinlax -- Thanks for that information.....

PappyJoe · January 2018

@daveinlax - Thanks for correcting the bad or incomplete information I had. Gives me a better idea of what to look for.

Dunhill... sell your recipes!

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