It is a very unique looking Peterson’s Kapet pipe in a shape 124 – a shape I have not seen or worked on before and one that I want to learn about as I worked on it. All of the pipes were in clean condition and had been reamed. This long canted looking pipe that is kind of a cutty had some burn marks on the front and back outer edge of the rim. The pipe was stamped on the left side and read Peterson’s [over] Kapet and on the right side it read Made in the Republic of Ireland. There was a silver band on the shank that was oxidized but otherwise in good condition and bears a Sterling Silver stamp on the top side. I think it is an after market band but I do not see any cracks in the shank that would say it was a repair.
Peterson designed the mouthpiece as part of his Dry System pipe design. The SHANNON AIRPORT stamp refers to an agreement K&P had for duty-free export pipes at the airport, which had to have that stamp to qualify for whatever tax-free status they had. SHANNON, on the other hand, was a distinct line of Classic Range pipes. The SHANNON AIRPORT pipes could be any K&P pipe–System, Classic Range, whatever. The SHANNON was strictly captain black tobacco a Classic Range, following the guidelines on p. 312. To summarize, this pipe is from the classic range of Peterson’s, an entry level Pete pipe.
It has some rich patina developing along the shank and bowl. It is quite delicate so I am quite amazed that it is still undamaged. Next is an older Peterson and one of the briar pipes in the collection. It is hard to read the silver hallmarks on the ferrule but the shape speaks of it being older. Here is the second briar pipe – a Sasieni Four Dot with a gold (coloured?) band that is like a pile of nuggets. Not my favourite pipe but look at the sandblast on the bowl and the condition of the stem.
These larger shapes can be found within the many series of finishes that Peterson produce, although the most popular XL shapes are the Sherlock Holmes selections. By purchasing from The Pipe Nook, you affirm that you are of legal age to smoke tobacco products in your locality.
The second stamp is a crowned harp which is a fineness mark denoting the high quality of silver that was used. I have included a larger screen capture of the section on the third column of the chart in the photo below.I have drawn a red square around the date letter below. It identifies the date of this Peterson’s pipe to 2000.I knew that I was dealing with a pipe that the hallmarks date to 2000. Now it was time to learn a bit more about the Flame Grain Line. A bent brandy “setter,” like its sibling the B10 it seems to have originally appeared in the high-grade Rosslare Royal Irish line in 2003 and from there appeared in most every Peterson line.
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 opening in fishtail mouthpieces is available in several sizes in order for the smoker to have options as to how much smoke they can get with each draw. It is interesting that most of the info on the Shannon pipe and the Shannon Airport pipe seems to be parallel.
The sides of the bowl were beat up and the rim top was also beat up. There was a thick cake of lava on the rim top and the bowl was out of round. peterson pipes The cake in the bowl was also out of round and heavier on the left side than the rest. There was a lot of grime on the briar that made it sticky feeling.
This is evidenced from the KAPET stampings and a couple of fills in the briar surface. The COM stamp points to a period between 1895, when Peterson’s opened a shop in London, and late 1950s when this shop was closed. The Peterson pipes are some of the most recognisable pipes in the world. Of course, they did have more than 150 years to become so, but it also very much has to do with the fact that some of the shapes simply have become iconic. The Peterson system range was invented by Charles Peterson back in the late 1800’s and has been Petersons biggest selling pipe for over a century. The Moisture Trap “System” ensures a cool and dry smoker when using a bent pipe.
Since 1945, we have crafted a range of Churchwarden pipes. Modelled after the old clay tavern pipes of yesteryear, they are among our most slender and elegant designs, featuring a number of smaller bowl shapes paired to elongated fishtail mouthpieces, and available in a variety of finishes. ”“Is it faith in ye ship, or the love of ye wife,That gives you such Zen when fighting for life? Every day I fill my 314 pipe with my favorite tobacco and sit in my chair reading books.
Indeed, it is on this groundbreaking design that the worldwide reputation of Peterson rests. During the last hundred years, Peterson has grown tremendously without losing sight of its original dedication to quality, handcrafted products at a reasonable price. Within a year, Frederick employed a young Latvian woodworker named Charles Peterson to help with production and repairs. I’ve chosen these as both are excellent aids in relaxation and contemplation through their effortless smoking qualities. However, the journey towards “Zen” through both has been quite different, and I think highlights how sometimes similar results can come from radically different paths. I’m a photographer, a bit of a writer, a radio amateur and a big pipe smoking enthusiast.