It is an 1896 bent Patent Deluxe.The original saddle stem which was missing, was probably an Amber one. In 1979 and 1980 Peterson commenced production of the Mark Twain gold banded numbered limited edition, numbered 1 through to 400. The pipe proved to be so popular that the number was quietly increased to 1000. The issue was such a great success and prompted further production of more pipes in 1981 to satisfy demand, with the Mark Twain second numbered silver banded edition, numbered 1 through to 1000, each in special presentation boxes. Some were also issued with limited edition pewter statues of the famous author.
This was only for pipes issued and sold from Shannon airport and was not the same as the present day Shannon series. In the 1960s Peterson hallmarked all gold mounted pipes but apparently they used their own marks on silver. This practice stopped at the end of that decade when they started to have all silver bands hallmarked. In 1966 a “Jubilee ” fourth hallmark chacom tobacco pipes was introduced, only for that year, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Easter Rising of 1916. Designed as a hand holding a flaming sword in Irish “an Claíomh Solais” or “sword of light” the mark bears the date 1916 to the right above and 1966 to the left below. An Claidheamh Soluis (Old Irish spelling), this was hallmarked with the letter Y.
They epitomize my ideal pipe, both in looks and functionality. I also enjoy how tactile these pipes are, they snuggle in beautifully in the hand. With the pipes being so big I would imagine they will not be to everyone’s taste.
In 1898 another of Peterson’s innovative pipe inventions became available and was also patented. The PetersonLip (PLip) mouthpiece, designed to offset the inhaled smoke to the roof of the mouth, thus avoiding tongue bite. The famous P chacom tobacco pipes lip stem incorporated into the system pipes mouthpiece directs the smoke flow through a small hole at the top of the stem to the roof of the mouth. As young Latvian talented pipe maker from Riga, Charles Peterson joined Kapp in 1865.
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. The higher grade Celtic natural finish series of pipes is not cheap to purchase, being at the top end of the higher grade pipes. They usually retail at around $300 – $400, and similar in quality to the Royal Irish series, they are comparatively rare and scarce, with few retailers currently offering them for sale. On looking back over the previous Peterson history, Tom considered that most changes should come in the extension to the main pipe range and with the regular issuing of new shapes and series.
But the 312 has also changed over the years, becoming slightly less curvy, a little thinner in the shank, and a bit shorter. In the first, from left to right are height examples from the Eire era, the Early Republic era, the Late Republic era, and the Dublin (present) era. As you can see, the two on the left are the same height and the two on the right are the same.
The second is you get a specific pipe because of the “inherent beauty that is in the pipe.” As the oldest continuously operating briar pipe factory in the world, we at Peterson have a certain tradition to uphold, a legacy of craftsmanship dating back over 150 years. Whether you’re browsing for your very first pipe or are a seasoned collector in search of a rare gem, know that every pipe in our catalogue carries with it that same preservation of tradition. A Peterson pipe isn’t just a utilitarian tool; it’s a piece of history you can carry with you in your travels, a faithful companion to accompany you through all that life offers.