As I finish a bowl of G. L. Pease's Westminster in one of my oldest pipes, a Peterson System 31, I was thinking of how many times I've sung its praises amongst pipe smoking acquaintances, but not here. So here are some observations of this pipe, which I believe to be one of the best smoking instruments available today.
The price is just right. While Peterson has many detractors, it's one of the most successful manufacturers of pipes today. You find their pipes everywhere. Their standard system line may not be the pinnacle of craftsmanship, but is, more often than not, rather well put together. For about $100 (or less) you get a heck of a briar workhorse.
Its proportions are perfect for the stinky stuff. Not everybody likes Latakia. And of those who do, not everybody smokes large bowls of it consecutively. The stinky stuff, at least to me, is best enjoyed in a bowl of this size (roughly and inch deep and almost 3/4 wide). This particular size gives you thick enough walls (about 1/4 of an inch) for heat to dissipate correctly without overheating. Being also a small pipe, it's extremely portable.
It's designed to give you a cool, dry smoke. It's the only straight system pipe, and as such, its design differs from the more traditional bent. For starters, there is no moisture trap per se -- rather, the bowl is perforated at the center (downward). This perforation, while not unique and encountered in other pipes such as Falcons, has the added benefit of being a pipe that can develop cake fully (as in all the way down!) with no effort. Dottle is likely to end up dry at the bottom, as moisture flows downward. So, what happens to the moisture then? As the smoke flows downward, it hits an aluminum extension that is attached to the tenon. Moisture condenses a bit around it, and inner turbulence seems to assist with letting the moisture get trapped on the inside of the shank (an area that is essentially a small chamber to help with condensation). For those who like dunhill inner aluminum pipes, it's a similar experience, with the metal assisting a bit here.
It comes with a P-Lip. Some hate it, but it's quite useful. It really helps avoid tongue bite. I know a common complaint when smoking the stinky stuff is a leathery feeling in the tongue -- it's more manageable in the hard palate, so if this is a concern, this feature will let you enjoy Latakia blends with ease.
Not as complicated to clean as the other System pipes. It's not like System pipes are impossible to clean -- it usually takes an extra QTip to remove moisture from the trap, and you must always remove the stem since cleaners don't pass through on system pipes (by design). In this one, a falcon-sized cleaner passes through the stem with ease allowing you to remove moisture and the usual leftovers from the stem right after smoking -- so you can let it cool down and move on to the rest of the cleaning later. The tenor being push-style, you can remove it with little risk when the pipe is still warm and clean if you wish to do so. A QTip will do well when inserted all the way through the shank, and you can remove the tapering aluminum tube and rinse it separately if you'd like.
This is not a fancy pipe. It won't make you auction your Dunhills. It won't make you stop commissioning pipes from all the skilled artists we all like. You'll probably never see the 31 in a deluxe finish or with a straight grain. But as a smoking tool, it is a rather unique piece of engineering.
The price is just right. While Peterson has many detractors, it's one of the most successful manufacturers of pipes today. You find their pipes everywhere. Their standard system line may not be the pinnacle of craftsmanship, but is, more often than not, rather well put together. For about $100 (or less) you get a heck of a briar workhorse.
Its proportions are perfect for the stinky stuff. Not everybody likes Latakia. And of those who do, not everybody smokes large bowls of it consecutively. The stinky stuff, at least to me, is best enjoyed in a bowl of this size (roughly and inch deep and almost 3/4 wide). This particular size gives you thick enough walls (about 1/4 of an inch) for heat to dissipate correctly without overheating. Being also a small pipe, it's extremely portable.
It's designed to give you a cool, dry smoke. It's the only straight system pipe, and as such, its design differs from the more traditional bent. For starters, there is no moisture trap per se -- rather, the bowl is perforated at the center (downward). This perforation, while not unique and encountered in other pipes such as Falcons, has the added benefit of being a pipe that can develop cake fully (as in all the way down!) with no effort. Dottle is likely to end up dry at the bottom, as moisture flows downward. So, what happens to the moisture then? As the smoke flows downward, it hits an aluminum extension that is attached to the tenon. Moisture condenses a bit around it, and inner turbulence seems to assist with letting the moisture get trapped on the inside of the shank (an area that is essentially a small chamber to help with condensation). For those who like dunhill inner aluminum pipes, it's a similar experience, with the metal assisting a bit here.
It comes with a P-Lip. Some hate it, but it's quite useful. It really helps avoid tongue bite. I know a common complaint when smoking the stinky stuff is a leathery feeling in the tongue -- it's more manageable in the hard palate, so if this is a concern, this feature will let you enjoy Latakia blends with ease.
Not as complicated to clean as the other System pipes. It's not like System pipes are impossible to clean -- it usually takes an extra QTip to remove moisture from the trap, and you must always remove the stem since cleaners don't pass through on system pipes (by design). In this one, a falcon-sized cleaner passes through the stem with ease allowing you to remove moisture and the usual leftovers from the stem right after smoking -- so you can let it cool down and move on to the rest of the cleaning later. The tenor being push-style, you can remove it with little risk when the pipe is still warm and clean if you wish to do so. A QTip will do well when inserted all the way through the shank, and you can remove the tapering aluminum tube and rinse it separately if you'd like.
This is not a fancy pipe. It won't make you auction your Dunhills. It won't make you stop commissioning pipes from all the skilled artists we all like. You'll probably never see the 31 in a deluxe finish or with a straight grain. But as a smoking tool, it is a rather unique piece of engineering.
