The next pipe I have chosen is a multi-faceted finish Peterson’s African Block Meerschaum pipe. This one is an apple shaped pipe that has facets around the bowl and shank. The rim top is flumed as was the style of the 60s and 70s. It came to us from the estate of Anglican minister that was a great friend of mine here in Canada. Today, more than 150 years later, our patented System pipes and Classic designs can be found in brick and mortar and online retailer shops across the globe. We’ve seen enormous change in our century-and-a-half of pipemaking.
It was hot out and he was with a friend so we did not go into details. The pipe appeared to be rusticated and looked to me like a Donegal Rocky in one of my favourite shapes – a Rhodesian 999. The bowl had a moderate cake and some lava on the rim top that needed attention. The rustication was dirty with dust of time ground in to the finish.
Pipes, tobacco, wine, and other fermented items are truly one of the great partnerships between God and Man. God created the briar, the leaf, the grape, the yeast and the grain. We take these items and turn them into things that can be used for our enjoyment and enlightenment. Once my pipe is lit I focus on nothing more than the sounds of nature and my smoking cadence.
Peterson Briar PipesPeterson pipes have a rich history dating back to 1865 when Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp, German immigrants, founded the Kapp Brothers store on Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland. Shortly after, Charles Peterson, a Latvian immigrant, joined the Kapp brothers, bringing his innovative ideas and craftsmanship to the company. This partnership led to the formation of Kapp & Peterson Ltd. I looked for the pipe on Pipephil and online and was not able to find any verification for who made the pipe for Peterson’s. I suppose that I will never know for sure but it appears that the pipe was made on the Isle of Man for export for another European pipe company. I am guessing that this one came from the time period of the late 60s or early 70s.
I turned to “The Peterson Pipe” by Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg to get some background on the Barrel Pipe. On page 313 it had the following information what they called the Specialty Briars. I have summarized the various pipes that were part of the Specialty Briars below and have also included the description of the Barrel itself. I knew that I was dealing with a Shannon that was part of the Classic Line made between made after 2003.
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. Again this year you have set us an interesting and ‘thought peterson pipes provoking’ task to commemorate System Day. What follows is my contribution along with a photo of my System 314 from the early 1980s. The 309 standard is perhaps the best smoking pipe I’ve had right out of the box.
Kildare (1965-) First issue of line with matte-finish in Classic Range shapes, P-Lip and fishtail mouthpiece. Second issue C.1979 as Kildare Patch, with rusticated patches on pipe surface. Third issue 2010, matte-brown, P-Lip or fishtail mouthpiece, no band. Fourth issue 2011-, burgundy sandblast finish, nickel army mount, fishtail mouthpiece, exclusive to smokingpipes.com. On the other hand, this Early Republic 11s was quite the opposite at first.
The second set of seven different shapes was released under the title “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”. Originally hired as a craftsman for high-end special order pipes, Charles Peterson distinguished himself over the years. By the time the sons of his original employers were grown he was able to buy out some of their shares and change the name of the company to Kapp & Peterson. Below, pictured from left to right is Charles Peterson and Alfred Kapp. The P-Lip mouthpiece was originally designed by Charles Peterson in 1865.
It says that the pipes were issued as Kildare Patch with rusticated patches. However this one does not have the patches it is smooth around the bowl sides. It also has a silver band on the shank rather than a nickel one. In over 150 years now, Peterson has literally been “on everyone’s lips”. Politicians, writers, personalities from sports and political life, and even characters from fiction, regularly carry a Peterson pipe with them in their mouths. There is also a wide range of pipe tobacco and even cigars, and they are expanded every year.
A while back I received a small box of pipes from a fellow pipeman who wanted to donate them to support the non-profit organization I work for – the SA Foundation (). The organization has been providing long term recovery, housing and job training for women who have escaped sexual exploitation and trafficking. For over thirty years the work has gone on and thousands of young women and their children have been empowered to start over with skills and options.