Bonds of Oxford St. London, to commission the making of a special giant classic bent pipe, with dimensions of, length 17cms, bowl height, 6.1cm, bowl chamber depth 5.5cms, internal bowl diameter 2.1cm. This is a classic shaped Peterson peterson pipes with hallmarked silver ferrule in smooth and rustic finishes, plus options of tapered and saddle stems. In the early 1990s Kapp & Peterson made this giant, classic full bent, smooth pipe exclusively for Bonds of Oxford Street London.
This event will coincide with the publication and launch of a new detailed Peterson reference book, in tandem with a new commemorative pipe issue. It is hoped that the launch will take place in May of 2015 at the Chicagoland International Pipe & Tobacciana Show, held every year at the Pheasant Run Resort in St Charles, Illinois. The Peterson brand of pipes are one of the most recognised in the world. They have been manufacturing pipes as a business in Ireland since the 19th century. Today the business is owned and managed by Tom Palmer from their head office at the Sallynoggin factory in Dublin, Ireland. Peterson believed that a man’s smoking pipe was a signature piece of his individual style, and Peterson pipes are still made with this idea in mind today.
Bonds seem to have an endless source of New Old Stock Peterson pipes. I am always intrigued by these pipes when they arrive by post. Inevitably they come in their original packaging and to my mind, are a window back in time. The Fishtail mouthpiece design is the standard design for most pipes. It is often either a small hole or a flat slit at the end of the mouthpiece that is designed to deliver the smoke directly onto the tongue, with the hope that it gives you a little bit stronger of a taste of the flavors in the tobacco. The external shape of a fishtail mouthpiece is primarily cosmetic, but it does assist in retention of the pipe if it is being held solely by the lips or teeth.
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.
Prices start at around $200 and rise to $800 for the Gold versions. I have found that there is a clear dichotomy of opinion on the views of pipe smokers on the Rosslare series, they either ‘love ’em or loath them’. Some find the orange/yellow Acrylic stem ‘a bit over the top’.
Peterson pipes is one of the premier company’s and has been since 1865. The traditional and well renowned brand has the unique blend of innovation and ability to hold on to the virtues of the original craftsmanship of pipe making. The company is based in Dublin and has, along with traditional shapes and materials, created a new expansive line of pipes, that you will find a wide variety of on this site. The modern Captain Pete line available from Cup O’Joe’s is an exclusive issue by Peterson for the US retailer. They are XL size pipes that mirror the Kinsale and SH series of pipes with slightly shorter plip mouthpieces.
Flying in the face of the condemnation of smoking on health grounds, the pipe appears to be going through a gradual upturn in popularity. No longer considered the province of older middle aged males, it appears to be gaining in popularity, particularly with significant numbers of younger people. Rising pipe tobacco sales suggest that pipe-smoking is making an unlikely comeback. Many old things eventually become trendy again and the latest yesteryear fashion making a comeback, appears to be pipe smoking. This modest increase is credited by many to retro-loving students. Facebook and MySpace have thousands of members signed up to various pipe smoking enthusiast groups.
When Tom Palmer bought the Peterson business at the beginning of the nineteen nineties’, he adopted the policy of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Basically sticking wisely to what the business had historically been famous for, good quality, value for money, popular, classic shaped pipes. At the end of the eighties just as the Sherlock Holmes range was being issued, Peterson reintroduced the modern Captain Pete series. The pipe bowls on these modern versions are all based on the Sherlock Holmes shapes. Recently I acquired a wonderful and very unique Peterson pipe. The pipe was in need of some restoration, as its original stem was missing.
I have had an extensive collection of other brands, including artisan pipes, in my collections over the years, with which to draw these comparisons. However for me Peterson pipes have a special place and attraction. Their historical elegance coupled to Celtic charisma and eccentricity adds to a massive world wide following and popularity.