A few years ago Peterson of Dublin offered only a small range of pipes. In January Jeff found out about an estate sale in Pocatello, Idaho, USA. It turned out that the sale was for a fellow Jeff and I had purchased pipes from in the past, Gene. He had been the owner of Outwest Tobacco in Pocatello (long closed now) and I bought tobacco and other smoking items from him in the past. As I think about it now, it seems that I had known Gene for over 30 years Jeff and I had been to his home and enjoyed coffee and a few pipes together.
In a world full of notifications, and electronics that demand our attention my system pipe brings me back down into a grounded reality. I let my head empty into nothingness at this time and watch the wonderful world God created while I slowly puff on my pipe. If I’m lucky enough I get to see the fox that lives on my property steal away to its den near my swamp just before the sun goes down. It’s a great experience and one that helps me feel more connected to God’s creation. In the early 1990s, Tom Palmer bought the company along with a small group of investors.
It was a mess.I called the fellow who sent the pipe and told him about the hole in the bottom of the bowl. He said it was probably the result of constant reaming with a pocket knife. I am pretty sure that is what caused the damage as it was very much of a cut. It was only later the next morning that I started working on it.
I wanted to be able to interpret the hallmarks on the silver band. I have captured a portion of the chart that include below that helps to clarify the meaning of each of the three hallmarks. I like the Hallmark feature on the higher end Peterson pipes with Sterling silver bands.
Better known as the P-Lip, the patented mouthpiece was designed to move smoke away from the tongue and to the top of the mouth. Although we’ve come to think of Peterson of Dublin as a thoroughly Irish brand, it was started by three immigrants, none of them Irish or even from Great Britain for that matter. The Kapp brothers, George and Frederick, were peterson pipes Bavarian and Peterson himself was Latvian. I knew that I was dealing with a pipe from the Specialty Line of Briars made between 1945 and the present.
However, by the mid-90s he would take almost complete control of the company. An accountant by trade, Palmer has been able to look at Peterson as a creator of products that must make a profit, while still holding true to the artistic side of briar pipes. The Date Letter Code for the year in which the silver was hallmarked (see the chart below).
In certain years a fourth hallmark is applied – for example 1966 – a Sword of Light for the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising 1973. There were also other marks used for the fourth hallmark. As the oldest continuously operating briar pipe factory in the world, Peterson Pipe 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 the catalogue carries with it that same preservation of tradition.