Dunhill Question for the experts

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mattia76

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Hey guys,
I just picked up what I believe to be a 1985 Dunhill 5405 in the Chestnut finish w/ a cumberland stem.

The only problem is that "Dunhill" isn't stamped anywhere on the pipe.
What it DOES have is:
-5405
-MADE IN ENGLAND25
-the Dunhill white spot on the stem-which appears in every way to be an authentic, hand-cut Dunhill stem.

The shape is also RARE. Some internet research revealed a lot of Dunhill 4405 (the group 4 variant), but no other 5405's.

It also appears to be unsmoked and completely fill-free.

Can anyone help me out there? Have you ever heard of a Dunhill that wasn't actually stamped "Dunhill"??
 
OK, here's some pics.

If you look closely at the last pic of the stem, you'll see that once upon a time, someone wanted $415.00.
I just found this, and it further confirms it for me as authentic.

But does anyone out there know for sure?



















 
The stamping that is on the pipe and the Cumberland stem all look like Dunhill, and the graining looks very good as well (presuming it is fill-free as you say). I would hazard a guess that it is a pipe that slipped through the factory without the Dunhill stamp. Alternatively, if you do find that it has a fill, it could be a pipe that got through to the last stages of acceptance in the quality control process, and then was rejected before the DUNHILL was stamped on it. If that is what happened, it would be strange that it got out of the factory. Too bad that John Loring, the "ultimate" Dunhill expert, passed away a couple of years ago. Perhaps Rich Esserman monitors this board and can offer an opinion????
 
Thanks Nero,

I've also examined my 1984 Dunhill Cumberland Poker, and the brindle stem looks identical in coloring and in bit and tenon design.

The markings are in the same place as my 1982 Dunhill Chestnut 4111, except that pipe says "DUNHILL" and "CHESTNUT"
This is maddening.
 
Personally I think the transfer of the price marking on the stem pretty much tells the story. I have Dunhills with the exact price labels on the stem. I would assume as Nerowolfe stated that this came through the factory without the most important stamps of all, DUNHILL and CHESTNUT. very nice pipe.
Enjoy
 
Looks like a Dunhill, but without the stamp, the value is pretty low. I would contact Dunhill to try for a letter of provenance. They used to provide that service, guess they still do.
 
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