Information on Peterson Grades

The Sherlock Holmes and other high grades in that price range are not supposed to have fills.

Fills are an interesting subject in itself. I've seen estimates that suggest that something in the order of 5% of the stummels turned are fault free. Reworking in the shop can eliminate some of those issues (Sable has commented on Barling doing just that). But even as early as the 1920's GBD was reporting about 30-35% true premium stummels from their production facilities. So all that digested you can conclude that there could be no more than a third of the pipes offered are fill free, as a maximum, and probably considerably less than that in reality. What I have seen written is that Peterson grades the stummels received and assigns them to the appropriate ranges. The best stummels going to the highest grades and the worst being designated as rusticated or sandblasted where those flaws become essentially undetectable. I have never seen anything written where Peterson guaranteed a range as fill free but that doesn't mean they haven't done so. I doubt you would find a fill in a Supreme. In most of their ranges Peterson uses the same sets of shapes. That allows the sorting process be an efficient method of grading. I'd agree with Tarheel the higher grades get the best stummels. Where the "fill free zone" starts I can't say.

'can't speak for him, of course, but foggy' has reported fills in some of the high end Petersons so has sworn off them. If I recall, he used to have quite a few, now mostly Dunhills, and only specific series in those.
I have a number of what I think of as mid-grade Petes, and a few low-enders, and I have yet to spot a fill, so I've been lucky. Some of these are years old, so I think fills would have surfaced. They may have some, but they were done properly and don't show at all.

I did a little research and based on Peterson lines offered for sale based on pricing got the following results;
Based on retail pricing (as advertised) the order would seem as follows;

(All lines available above the $200 range)
Spigot (Smooth – Walnut) $204

Premier System $208

Sherlock Homes (Smooth) $236

Grafton $252

Royal Irish $292

Silver Cap $328
(No listing for Supreme)

(All above as listed for sale @ smokingpipes.com)

I remember years ago(2000?)at a Chicago Pipe Show Tom Palmer hosted a discussion group that I sat in on. He started with the usual we only use the finest blah blah blah spiel. A group of very angry collectors who had found fills in the high end lines confronted him about it and he ended up having to admit Peterson was never going to be able to guarantee clean wood. 8O

Sherlocks have fills! (Looking at one!)

What is also interesting (and confusing I guess) is that Peterson's do have grades within grades.
For example, you can see from Jim's blog that he classifies the The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes pipes in his "Group 3" - high likelihood of fills for sure. But, the smooth pipes came in three finishes - Dark Walnut, Red Spray and Natural I think - with the Natural being of high grade. The Natural finish pipe will be fill free and more in line with the Straight Grains or Supremes.
This can be seen across all of the Year Pipes, Collections and Limited edition pipes (Including the Founders Edition POY from 2015).

In some ways I agree and some not Pipe Monk.
As a Peterson collector and smoker, I really don't have a problem with their "grades" (or an official lack there of in the case of Peterson's). To me, the grade does not necessarily predict the collectability or appeal of a pipe. I guess what I am saying is, grade/fills/whatever, not an issue for me - the pipe is either worth what I paid (in my own mind) or it is not. Sometimes I think I prefer flaws - perfect pipes make it really hard for me to put that first match to it, if you know what I mean.
The never-ending line of limited edition this, limited edition that, "collector" pipes, etc. really does bug me though. Personally, I am not a big fan of these so-called "collectible" pipes. Many of them are really nothing more than classic Peterson shapes, already available in other lines, that are changed slightly (finish, band color, whatever) and stuck out there as limited edition. No thanks...
Besides, any time the manufacturer calls anything "collectible" you can be darn near certain that it won't be