Dunhill Limited Edition Pipes : The Battle of Waterloo

Most pipe smokers never get the chance to own a pipe with the infamous White Spot.
Moreover, it is only in the dreams of most pipe enthusiasts to be able to own one of
the Dunhill limited edition pipes as so few of them are made.

The Battle of Waterloo pipe is the last in a trilogy of Dunhill limited edition pipes
created to honour the most influential battles the British empire has ever seen. The
battle of Waterloo pipe comes several years after the original Battle of Trafalgar
pipes (2007) and the Battle of Britain pipes (2010). The White Spot says that it was
difficult to design and hand craft the pipes to the standard that the world has come
to expect from Dunhill in time for the 200th anniversary of the battle.

The pipe

This Dunhill limited Edition pipe is an elegant quaint shape in size group 4, a shape
specially made for this edition. The pipe has semi-bevel rims and is fitted with
precious metal bands engraved with the inscription ‘The battle of Waterloo 1815-2015’
Of course, as you would expect from The White Spot, each pipe is meticulous
inspected at each stage of of the hand crafting process.

The pipe tamper is shaped to mock the design of a cannon from the battle, with its
main body cast from solid sterling silver. The tamper for the amber root variation of
the pipe has been decorated with four 18ct gold rings for that added touch of
luxury.

What gives the tampers indeed historic importance is that the cascabel and breech of
the cannon tempers are made from pig iron which was recast from an original French
12-pounder cannon ball found in the Waterloo field as debris 164 years after the
battle.

The highly collectable Battle of Waterloo editions are housed in a prestigious
midnight blue leather box of generous dimensions. The lid bears the relief busts of
three generals – Von Blucher, Wellington and Napoleon. Furthermore, each set is
accompanied by the hard cover book ‘Waterloo – The decisive Victory’, which has been
integrated to slip into the case’s removable tray along with the pipe certificate.

The Battle

The battle of Waterloo is one of the most famous battles in world history and with
good reason. Not only was the outcome of the battle an unlikely triumph for the
underdogs, but it has been defined as the most important land battle in all of history.
A statement that is likely true, if the battle was lost by the British and their allies
you could well be reading this blog in French!

The battle was fought on a Sunday, which was a shrewd scheme of Napoleon, whose army
consisted of around 70,000 veteran French soldiers. On the other face of the
battlefield was the British born general, Wellington and 25,000 of his inexperienced
British soldiers. The whole of Europe united behind Wellington, knowing that the
battle of Waterloo was the last chance to put an end to the self-declared emperor
Napoleon’s campaign. Dutch and German troops arrived to the battlefield accounting for
25,000 men, who were also dangerously under experienced. Waterloo is a sub province in
Belgium so it was a certainty that the small Flemish army added to Wellington’s ranks.
Lastly, the untrained and ill-equipped Prussian army topped up the European alliance’s
final gambit, capping the total troops at somewhere near to 67,000 men.

Napoleon’s Armee du Nord consisted of greater numbers infantry, cavalry and artillery.
Furthermore, Napoleon had commanded his battle-hardened troops all over the continent
yet to lose a decisive battle. This lead to pomposity and arrogance, which would
ultimately be his undoing. It was a closely run battle, the Duke of Wellington later
said ‘it was the closest-run thing you ever saw in your life’. Two hundred thousand
soldiers and three of the finest commanders ever to have graced the globe fought the
most intensive, bitter battle in all of military history. Cannons fired, ranks clashed,
horses reared and at the end of it all, 54,000 men lay dead or mortally wounded.

The defeat at Waterloo meant the end of Napoleon’s rule and began to the decline of
the French empire. 2 weeks later coalition forces entered Paris.

Now you know about this pipe and the history behind it, a true conversation starter
at the gentlemen’s club or the local pub. If you are interested in picking one of the
Marvellous pieces of craftsmanship, which is stockpiled full of history, we have them
for sale at Havanahouse.co.uk. Here you can also shop for the full range of Dunhill
limited edition pipes that we offer.