Peterson 15: Pint-Sized Perfection

I recently sold off a couple of Peterson's I didn't smoke very often, in favor of two new pipes that I've been drooling over for months. I pulled the trigger, and after an agonizing 9 day wait they have arrived from the U.K.! I find that a 30-40 minute smoke is about as long as I normally want to sit with a pipe, and the diminutive 15 seems like it will fit the bill perfectly. The chamber size seems almost exactly as small as my 102, which has been my preferred pipe of late.
Anywho, on to the pipe porn. First up, the Short Classic 15. This one is so warm and rustic feeling, even though it's obviously smooth. It's like...emotionally rustic. If that makes any sense. I've seen these online quite a bit but nobody ever seems to buy them. For the life of me, I can't imagine why. This is one beautiful little pipe, with a sterling silver army mount, and it was on sale for $88.



And then there's THIS one. The Natural Silver Mounted Army 15. This is my first natural finished Peterson and it is, in a word, stunning. There are quite a few pits on the right flank of the pipe, but the grain and overall presentation are so lovely that (in my eyes, anyway) it doesn't detract from the desirability of the pipe. I plan to break this in with a fresh tin of Solani 633 tonight, which I have yet to try. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

mso489 your wisdom abounds. All very good points, to be sure!
husky- the briar on the natural army is supposed to be much higher quality. The grain pattern certainly bears that out, although it does have a lot of pits in the wood. So.. *shrug* I guess that’s open for debate. Typically, the natural finish Peterson’s are among the upper ranks in terms of price and desirability. Also, the natural army was hand made (if you believe the box, maybe somebody else can confirm this?). Presumably that attention to detail will make for a fine smoker. Sometimes factory made pipes, such as the other short classic, are less finely crafted. The draft hole in the short classic is slightly up from center, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will smoke poorly. I’ve had a few pipes with wonky drilling turn into fine smoking pipes after a few months of breaking in.

I have a few sites that I frequent. Top 3, in no particular order:
mysmokingshop.co.uk

gqtobaccos.com

cgarsltd.co.uk
You’ll find that their pipes are typically significantly cheaper than US online retailers, and they usually have higher end/unique pipes that you won’t often find on major US sites. I compute the exchange rate and check against similar pipes in the US to determine what’s a good deal. Also, their prices that are listed include a VAT (value added tax). If it ships to the US, it’s even cheaper than the listed price. Shipping on all of my pipes has been less than $10 from Europe, though it does typically take 7-10 days to arrive. With Brexit looming, all of this could be subject to change. I’m no economist, but I’d imagine with Britain striving to secure a better economic future for itself, and Boris Johnson (a hardline Brexiteer) being elected, these sweet deals could change come autumn. I’ve been satiating all of my PAD through U.K. retailers while it’s hot. Happy hunting!

I’ve seen the short classics around on SP and P&C. I believe P&C just had them on sale recently, if memory serves. The natural army, however, I haven’t seen in the US.

Thanks! I’m particularly taken with the short classic as well. It’s so comfortable and inviting. I haven’t smoked it yet. I’m hugely into dark flakes lately, so it will likely be dedicated to Old Dark Fired, Irish Flake, and the like. My other dark flake pipe is getting worked hard, it needs a backup!

Paul you have a point, I suppose they’re not exactly “small” pipes. I gauge them as such compared to my Peterson 120’s which I have a few of and feel fairly “large” to me. I can never pack a full bowl and finish it in one sitting. But I know there are WAY bigger chambers out there.

The 6 is a lovely model as well! I have a Rosslare Royal Irish 6 and it feels great in hand. Sort of similar to the 15 but deeper and it feels a bit more rounded on the outside of the bowl. That touch of extra briar is nice sometimes.