Tom also believes that, ”the major changes have been refocussing our outlook on the smoker and given him variety and something to look forward to every year.” With Ireland’s joining of the European Community in 1973, a fourth miniature hallmark representation of the Celtic Glenisheen collar was added to the right of the date stamp for that year, hallmark letter F. This recognition would turn into worldwide respect, and the team of Kapp and Peterson became one of the most popular pipe manufacturers in the world.
The idea behind this is; the smoke leaving the smaller diameter and entering the larger diameter will expand and slow down, thus dropping more moisture before entering your mouth. To some people the cleaning of system pipes can appear to be problematic, in fact they are in most cases easy to clean. A pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol will do a fine job of removing any dried tobacco juices in the mouthpiece or shank.
Since the time of Charles Peterson, Kapp & Peterson has continued to elevate their reputation with a host of other series, all inherently affected by the System pipe but offering their own distinct styles and features. In this group you will find the basic entry level pipes which many smokers desire and captain black tobacco are most comfortable with for every day and rotation use. The two most famous and popular issues probably being the System and the Classic shape pipes. All of the pipes in this group can be purchased for relatively little cost and probably accounts for the majority of Petersons world wide pipe sales.
This achieves a uniquely even distribution of smoke and virtually eliminates any chance of tonguebite or bitterness. Furthermore, the shape is contoured so that the tongue rests comfortably in the depression under the opening. For the Peterson System pipes to work properly, the stem/tenon has to have an extension, the tip of which will pass by the draft hole from the bowl and into the sump. Upon the smoker drawing in smoke, this extension then directs the smoke down and around the sump to dispense a lot of the moisture before the smoke enters the extension and stem. On the System Standards and other less expensive systems, this extension with be made of Vulcanite turned integrally with the stem.
Their historical elegance coupled to Celtic charisma and eccentricity adds to a massive world wide following and popularity. As well as being excellent everyday smoking pipes, they are also very collectible. Particularly the Patents, Pre-Republics and original Mark Twain’s, all of which command reasonably consistent, estate prices at auction. I have to admit that I am smitten by this new series from Peterson.
The first pipe was a Dublin shape (what else!) and an Oom Paul. Each pipe was sold individually featuring a special sterling silver hallmarked band and came with a ribbon wrapped parchment scroll in a blue presentation box. 1987 saw the introduction and Issue of the first Sherlock Holmes ‘Original’ Series of pipes.
Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp, German immigrants to Ireland from Nuremberg, founded the famed Kapp Brothers store on Grafton Street, Dublin in 1865. Shortly thereafter, a Latvian immigrant, Charles Peterson, chacom tobacco pipes strolled into the Kapp workshop and declared that he could make better pipes than they could. They have also had a full lineup of tobaccos that the P&C Faithful have flocked to for years.
It is an 1896 bent Patent Deluxe.The original saddle stem which was missing, was probably an Amber one. For collectors the Patent Era appears to have been from K&P’s formation in 1890, until the expiration of the patent; through to approximately 1915. The late Mike Leverette in his ‘A Peterson Dating Guide’ extended this period to 1922.I believe this was purely to take cognisance of the P-lip patent which expired at around this time. Peterson then went on to produce more non limited versions of the Mark Twain pipes, this time without numbers, from 1983 through to 1989. English made actually spanned the period between the pre Republic and Republic eras.