As far as value and cost is concerned, for the excellent quality finish, these are competitively priced at around $135 to $250 depending on size and briar grade. Peterson pipes, made in Ireland, provide the pipe smoker with a wide selection of briars. Charles Peterson, who was born in Latvia, worked as a pipe maker in the meerschaum factory of Friedrich Kapp, who emigrated from Nuremberg and ran a renowned tobacco boutique on Grafton Street in Dublin.
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 Peterson pipes actually spanned the period between the pre Republic and Republic eras. Charles Peterson died shortly after retiring and moving to Hamburg in Germany in 1919 where he is buried. The original 1890 ‘system’ pipe patent expired at around this time. At some time around 1874 Fredrick moved to Dublin.while brother George remained in London until his death 5 years later.
The Peterson System pipes are the standard bearers of the Peterson pipe family, famous for the excellent smoking pleasure they provide. Often imitated but never equaled, the Peterson System smokes dry, cool and sweet, thanks to the scientific effectiveness of the original design. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture flows into the reservoir and, thus cannot reach the smoker’s mouth.
Its rapid rise varied according to the different markets, but in 1950 in Great Britain it accounted for 84% of tobacco consumption, compared to 31% in Spain, 37% in Germany, 72% in the USA and 76% in Austria. The trend was irreversible and within a few decades pipe smoking declined in popularity everywhere. How did a great, traditional manufacturer with loyal customers worldwide address this problem? Initially the firm withstood the drop in sales on one market by trying to recover on another, but sales were still declining so countermeasures were sought. Fredrick Henry Kapp, the founder’s grandson, died in 1972 and a year later the company merged with another group, and changed hands several times in the following years.
chacom tobacco pipesThose who malign the brand because they’re made by the hundreds using machines, are very wrong, in my opinion. I like them a lot and the bang for the buck is the best I’ve ever seen for new pipes of this quality. I have adapted this section concentrating on the period following 1950, the made in the Irish Republic era and the different near modern Peterson grades and series, which should bring us up to the time period from the 1990s onward. 1895 Kapp & Peterson moved to bigger premises at 111 Grafton Street Dublin and also opened a new depot in Broad Street London. 1900 K & P exhibited with great success at the Paris International exhibition winning several gold medals and accolades for the quality of their pipes.
captain black tobaccoThe ‘Original’ series was introduced piece meal, every 6 months a new shape until the 7 day set was complete. The same procedure was later adopted for the next series, Return of Sherlock Holmes. In 1899, Peterson opened the first in a series of several successive shops in London, England, that lasted until the late 1960s/70s. From 1950 to the present time, the stamp for this era is “Made in the Republic of Ireland” in a block format generally in three lines but two lines have been used with or without Republic being abbreviated.
Indeed, until Tom Palmer came onto the scene ( ) it was a critical time in which measures were sought to pull out of the crisis, some being successful but not decisive. 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.
Peterson suggested that the brothers go into partnership with him to turn his smoking pipe into the world’s best briar pipe. Kapp and Peterson went on to become Dublin’s most fashionable and respected manufacturer and purveyor of fine tobacco smoking products. Pipe and cigar smokers would stroll down to the elegant premises for professional advice on the subtle nuances that determine a good handmade cigar or briar pipe. The Peterson brand was embraced by politicians, business leaders, sportsmen, artists and writers.
Here the smoke is directed selectively into the throat area and thus protects sensitive tongues. Most Peterson pipe series are also available with a regular mouthpiece (FT – Fishtail). 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.
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. Peterson pipes create many styles and shapes and uses many different materials, ranging from the traditional briar to exclusive gold bands on some special edition pipes.