Inside A Peterson System

I've noticed that when I do a regular post smoke swab of the moisture trap and smoke hole of my Peterson System pipes small burrs left over from the drilling seem to always pick up a bit of lint or fuzz from the pipe cleaner or cotton swab. I know this is not a big deal but little things like this bother me. While my Pete's are finished nicely on the outside they are factory pipes after all and I wouldn't expect them to be polished to the extreme on the inside.



The other day this fuzz problem got the better of me and I headed out to my workbench to find a solution. In my sandpaper collection I keep several grades with double sided tape laminated to the back of the paper so I can attach it to sanding blocks or dowels depending on the sanding task at hand.



I cut a small piece of 220 grit just big enough to wrap securely around the handle end of a chainsaw file. The diameter of the steel rod along with the sandpaper fits just right into the smoke hole. A quick spin and a couple swipes around the moisture reservoir was all it took to smooth out the rough edges and my cleaners come out dirty but leaving no fuzz behind.



I now do this simple procedure when I first get a new System pipe and I have gone back and hit my older ones. I know it may be a non-issue to most but I'm particular about some things. Heck I still fold my T-shirts into perfect squares like I was taught in basic training over 20 years ago.

Lol shawn I forgot about making sure the soap was clean! Not a single whisker on that razor either.
@johnd I believe the draw on the Peterson's is mainly dictated by the airway in the stem. It starts out larger then narrows as it nears the P-lip. I recently got a couple Pete's with standard fishtail bits and they seem to have a more open draw compared to my other P-lip equipped pipes. I really like the standard fishtail Pete's so if you like an open draw maybe consider a fishtail stem. I like either one but it's worth the consideration for sure. I've not enlarged the smoke hole on a system but I don't think it would make much difference because of the stem but of course thats just my opinion.

Hi Fyrefawkes, I use a product called Simichrome Polish for metalwork. The stuff is amazing and works quickly on any metal surface. I got mine at the local hardware store. I pop the stem out and wrap some masking tape (painters tape) carefully around the shank to protect the wood. Takes about 20 seconds with the Simichrome to have it gleaming.
Welcome to the forum!

I got busted once during inspection for having those little paper "inspected by" tags in the pockets of my dress blues hanging in my locker. I had 'em all cleaned out but some "mysteriously" reappeared and I had forgotten to check again before the inspection. :x Sure brings a smile to think back about that stuff!