I've bought and sold a lot of Dunhills. For sure, they are the classic English pipe, but I've always found smoking quality to be all over the map. Seems like they lost their mojo for a while in the 70's or 80's but got it back. I only have one smokable Dunhill now, a bent Apple that is dedicated to Escudo. I also have a patent billiard sitting around that I need to get a new stem for; it's a nice pipe, but I'm not a straight-billiard guy.
Everyone's tastes are different, but my favorite English pipes are probably (in no particular order) pre-Lane and Lane-era Charatan, family-era Sasieni, Ferndown, and Upshall. I have a pre-Lane long-shank Charatan Dublin - it would be a Canadian if the bowl were shaped differently - that'll go to a new home when they pry my cold dead fingers away from it. Same thing for a couple Ferndowns, and a Four Dot Sasieni that I found in a ten-buck lot of garage sale pipes.
I've also bought and sold a ton of GBD's (I used to refurbish and sell estate pipes), and managed to hang onto a few with the clear Perspex stem. They smoke really well.
Old Ben Wades are quite nice also. If you ever find one stamped "Leeds," hang onto it with both hands. The Leeds factory was destroyed in World War II, so that is an old pipe. The ones I've had are smallish but great smokers. Stupid me, I sold them (for stupid money :-).
