Of course, no discussion of collectable Yuletide briars can be complete without a mention of that revered British institution, Dunhill. These are by far the most expensive and the most limited in number of any Christmas pipe. They are also the most coveted. Even though Alfred Dunhill began manufacturing pipes in 1910, the firm he founded did not introduce their first Christmas pipe until 1980, and then, they only turned out 100 of them. This was the first of any Christmas pipe to be individually numbered. Pipe #1 was presented to Richard Dunhill, Alfred's grandson, while pipe #2 was given to the Dunhill museum.

The 1980 Dunhill Christmas pipe sold for $300 and consisted of a silver-mounted, shell (sandblasted) Group 3 bowl, hallmarked with the AD diamond, and stamped with the year of issue. It was rather unique, inasmuch as it was cased with three vulcanite stems of varying lengths. ironically, the 98 remaining pipes languished on many a dealer's shelf until 1986, when The Christmas Pipe was published and collectors suddenly became aware of this undiscovered rarity. Today, of course, they have all been snapped up. Special mention should also be made of the 1981 Dunhill Christmas pipe, which is so rare that few people have ever seen one. A Bruyere bent-bulldog encased in a cloisonne burlwood box, it was inadvertently mis-priced and was immediately yanked off of the market, never to be seen again. It is estimated that less than 75 of these second-year-of-issue models exist, making it extremely difficult for anyone to put together a complete set of Dunhill Christmas pipes.

In 1982, Dunhill introduced the now-famous Christmas model that was packaged in a leather book resembling the special-order Dunhill pipe cases of the 1930s. Only 300 or less of each year's pipe were made, and the series continued through 1991. In 1992, Dunhill started a new series of Christmas pipes, with each year portraying a line from the sixteenth-century English carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." This series retains the leather book casing, with the gold-stamped spine denoting the title of that year's series (i.e., Four Calling Birds for the fourth year, 1996) and the pipe's individual serial number. The pipe itself is stamped with its serial number, along with all of the standard nomenclatures that make Dunhill so collectable. In addition, each year's pipe comes with a sterling silver tamper depicting the title theme. Only 500 cased pipes are produced worldwide for each year, and the rather steep $1,200 price tag no doubt keeps many from trying to acquire the complete set. And yet, like all Christmas pipes, the first issues invariably prove to be the most elusive for future collectors, when today's high prices become yesterday's bargains. There are thought to be less than 15 complete 1980-1997 Dunhill Christmas pipe sets in the world. Perhaps that is why many newer collectors are starting to assemble a Twelve Days of Christmas set while it is still possible.

The Millesime pipe, produced by the respected French pipe making firm of Butz-Choquin since 1983, is not as well known as its quality would warrant. Here is a classic pipe company that was founded in 1853 and has never strayed from it's Saint Claude roots. They have an extensive array of aged briar and, in addition to turning out their own impressive brand name pipes, also turn bowls for some of the most revered London pipemakers. And yet, it is estimated that less than four complete Millesime pipe sets exist in the U.S.. Hardly surprising, since only 50 of the 1,300 Millesime pipes produced in 1983 were sent to the U.S., and none are currently imported. All Millesime pipes feature a nickeled insert stamped with the year and inset in the shank. The stem is handcut acrylic and the pipe bowl is stamped with the Butz-Choquin logo, the word MILLESIME, and the pipe's individual serial number. Also included is a matching serial numbered certificate written in both French and English.

The respected Italian pipe-making firm Savinelli introduced their first Pipe of the Year in 1985 and has continued to produce a handsome and very smokable offering every year since. Indeed, there are many collectors who have assembled complete sets of these very picturesque briars. They were helped along in 1990 when Savinelli brought out a fitted case to house the six pipes they had made up to that time. No subsequent cases have been produced. Each Pipe of the Year is a sandblast #5 Autograph, with a silver (first issues were lacquered brass) plate bearing the year and inset into the shank. Like all Autographs, the signature of Achille Savinelli is stamped in gold on the black lucite mouthpiece. Each year, only 2,000 pipes are produced, and approximately 600 are brought into the United States. All pipes in the series am aesthetically compatible with each other, and the current 1997 issue, which features an attractive briar inlay in the mouthpiece, retails for $200.

Now we come to the more recent entries in the holiday pipe market. In 1995, noted Danish pipemaker Erik Nording created one of the most unusual annual briars, the "Hunting Pipe of the Year." Currently in its second year of manufacture, these small but robustly designed pipes reflect Erik's deep love of the wilderness, wildlife, and hunting. The first issue paid tribute to the Chinese pheasant, one of the most popular game birds among upland shotgunners. The pipe, which can at best be described as a squat bulldog, was silver mounted and stamped "Handmade by Erik Nording" and the year, 1995. The shape itself was inspired by a wonderful sketch of a pheasant by Danish artist Mogens Anderson. A copy of the sketch, with the artist's handwritten notations (in Danish), accompanies each pipe. Placing the pipe alongside the illustration, it is easy to see how Nording was able to match the strutting grace of the bird to the briar.

The 1996 Hunting Pipe of the Year is dedicated to the Sitka deer, and the mouthpiece is accented with a genuine round of staghorn antler, which the animal sheds each year. Accompanying the pipe in its unique tubed cylinder are pencil illustrations of the Sitka deer and notes on smoking the pipe by artist Magnus Anderson.

Ser Jacopo, those well-crafted Italian pipes are hand-turned by Giancarlo Guidi (at one time, maker of the Maestro de Paja pipe), has entered the holiday pipe scene with his Domina series. The first issue was 1996 and featured a bent Dublin (in which the bowl widens from bottom to top) with a silver band, entwined with tobacco leaves. The Domina 1997 pipe is an oversized bent-billiard-style (the straight-sided bowl is at right angles to the shank) with a tall chimney bowl and a geometric design on the silver band. Five finishes are offered: rusticated, sandblast, a ruby red smooth, walnut smooth, and a natural smooth. Prices start at $475 for the rusticated and go up accordingly. Only 150 pipes are made each year, of which a scant 35 are brought into the U.S..

More accessible are the new gold-banded Peterson's Pipe of the Year, a Rhodesian bulldog (a bent bulldog with a flat "diamond" shank) with military mount. The 1997 holiday season marks their first offering, and 1,000 pipes are being produced worldwide. The retail price is S237.

Of course, other Christmas pipes exist, such as the well-made Maestro de Paja, Don Carlos, W. 0. Larsen, and those from the Danish firm of Georg Jensen, although many brands are not widely found in the U.S.

A frequently asked question is: should a Christmas pipe be smoked, or just savored for its collectability? Personally, I save many of my pipes in unsmoked condition, but some are just too well designed to resist firing them up during the Yuletide season. And so it was, just last year, when Dunhill came out with their Four Calling Birds, a silver mounted, Cumberland-finished Poker (a cylindrical shaped bowl with flat, stand-up bottom). To my mind, it was the most smokable pipe in the current series, and after eyeing it on the mantle throughout the holidays, I finally broke down on New Year's Day. I filled the Group 5 bowl with McClelland's Christmas Blend, threw another log in the fireplace, and enjoyed one of the most relaxing hours I have ever spent. Indeed, it got the New Year off to a wonderful start, and that is what collecting Christmas pipes is all about.