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chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
I had privilage of picking up some old Peterson's catalogs. These are from 1896, and the early Patent era. I hope you enjoy them.
http://s740.photobucket.com/albums/xx50/ChuckWright_01/Peterson%201896%20catolgue/
This one is one Barry Levin put togehter and deals mostly with Patent era (1898/1910) pipes altho there are some bog oak and cherrywood pipes from WW II.
http://s740.photobucket.com/albums/xx50/ChuckWright_01/Barry%20Levin/

 

hooligan

Lurker
Jan 31, 2010
12
0
Nice photos. I believe there's a Barry Levin pipe for sale on ebay. 1859 clay peterson. asking $850.00 or best offer

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
Thanks for sharing those Chuckw.

I'd love to have those two matching bents in the case (briar & meerschaum).

I wonder what it would cost these days to get an "amber" stem like that?

Thanks again.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
Thanks Chuck. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this photo project. It's not only interesting as a curiosity piece; but it's also historic and useful information. I think there are more than a few 'Pete' fans on this site.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
I like my Peterson's.

The straight is rugged. I tend to chew on the bit, because I smoke it when working around the house.

The bent, is a pain to clean and hard to hold in my teeth, but it smokes very well.

They are in my rotation, but not my 5 faves.
PetersonDonegal106.jpg


PetersonStandard307rt.jpg


 

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
You are quite welcome gentlemen. It was a labor of love, believe me.
Pstlpkr, I know what you mean about a pain cleaning the System pipes but for me it is just part of the Peterson's experience. Peterson's make up 2/3 of my collection with many Deluxe Pre-Republic's and a couple of Supreme's.
For those who would like to see the biggest part of my collection, They are here:
http://s740.photobucket.com/albums/xx50/ChuckWright_01/

 

brazz

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 16, 2009
233
0
Chuck thanks for sharing those pic's. What a collection !!!

Those pipes are beautiful. I especially like the long sraight stem Petersons Classic !

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
Hey Chuck,

My bent Peterson has a "well" type structure in the shank.

It invariably fills with fluid, no matter how careful I am.

Do you have; and if so; how do you deal with that issue in yours?

 

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
The Peterson's System pipes are Army mounts. The stem can be removed while smoking without fear of damage or loosening the stem. It is a simple matter to seperate the two and dump the well.

As you can see in the catalogs, Charles Peterson had two patents on his System pipes. The first was 1894 (I think) and covered the sump, stem extension and original P-lip design. The second, in 1898, was for the P-lip as we know it today. He designed the pipe with the well just for that reason.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
My Dad taught me never to remove the stem when it was warm.

As we all know that can over-time will loosen the stem.

I was unaware that that pipe was designed and constructed for that purpose.

I will take my time and read the patent information that you posted earlier.

Thank you very much.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
chuckw,

I have a Donegal Rocky ¼-bent bulldog with a fishtail stem and it's one of my better smokers. I opted for the fishtail out of inherent conservatism and a lack of experience. How do you like the p-lip? In your opinion what issues arise from, or are resolved by, the p-lip design? Did I miss the boat in choosing the fishtail?

 

drumlord73

Lurker
Feb 5, 2010
1
0
i really enjoyed looking at your pipe collection. im 36yrs old and started smoking pipes about 3 years ago and my favorite pipe is a peterson royal irish rossalare w/p-lip lucite stem "bent apple". its really a nice pipe. i really do belive there is a art of pipe smoking,and im defintly hooked!!!!

 

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
Cortezattic, the P-lip is, in my opinion, like scotch, an aquired taste. Its benifits are it eliminates tongue bite by directing the smoke stream across the roof of the mouth and helps prevent saliva from drainng back into the pipe, thereby reducing or eliminating gurgleing. They also slightly change the flavor of your tobacco because the smoke isn't striking the taste buds directly. The P-lip is part and parcel of the System pipe.

The only drawback in my opinion is they feel thick in the mouth. I recall an experience where I finished smoking a DC Charatan's Make and picked up a Pete P-lip. It felt as tho I'd stuck a telephone pole in my mouth.

If you poll a dozen pipe smokers, you will find about half who wouldn't have a Peterson's P-lip if they had room for 20 of them and the next 3 could take or leave them. Then you find people like me who would rather have a $250 Peterson's than a $2000 Bang or a $10,000 Bo Nordh.

 

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
Pistlpkr. regarding the ability to remove the stem when the pipe is still warm. I believe it was during the First World War the British Army sent requests to various pipe makers for a pipe that could have the stem removed when the pipe was warm. At the time, British troops were given a Dunhill pipe and tobacco upon their deployment to France. Those pipes were donated by old Alfred himself as a marketing ploy and a darned good one too. The problem was loose stems and broken shanks when they had to go "over the top." The troops had started using cartridge cases to band their shanks to help prevent that. Peterson's won the contract because their Patent pipes were already set up for it with their silver or nickle mounts and tapered tenons. They further refined the mounts by adding silver to the tenon. Thus was born what we call today the Army or military mount and the spigot.

 

maxpeters

Can't Leave
Jan 4, 2010
439
20
Thanks Chuckw,

Interesting thread. Please clarify if you will, are all Peterson's army mount?

I have a Sherlock Holmes that has a silver band, but the tenon fits into the shank just like any other type of pipe. Push pull, vulcanite on wood. I too am hesitant to remove the stem while the pipe is hot, for fear of loosening the stem with time.
I have refrained from picking up anymore Peterson's because my experience with the several that I have owned, has been that they smoke wet. That, and the inabitity to run a pipe cleaner through the stem into the bowl to stop the gurgling, made smoking one a real pain.

I was aware of the military mount being made to avaoid that little problem for the troops, and at one time was considering buying another with the army mount, ( metal covered stem ) but then I came across an article that stated that Peterson was allowing putty fills, even on some of their higher grade pipes. The article ( it's been about 10 years or so now, so I don't have the article any longer ) went on to state that when Peterson pipes was asked about this, that they responded with " we never guaranteed that there wouldn't be any fills in our pipes" or something to that effect.

I remember getting out my magnifying glass and checking the one Sherlock Holmes that I have, and thank goodness, couldn't find any fills, but that made me very leary of getting anymore Peterson pipes.
The Pipe that I have kept still smokes wet, and is a real pain to put up with the gurgling, but it fits my hand so well, and has the name of one of my favorite literary characters on it, that I have kept it.
Are you saying that all Peterson's were made to avoid the stem loosening? If that's the case, it would really relieve my mind to know that I wouldn't be damaging the pipe by taking it apart in mid smoke, and cleaning the moisture out.
I would be able to enjoy this pipe of mine even more than I do now, as I rarely smoke it anymore, because of that problem.
I hope this isn't too long of a question. I will also post a picture of my Sherlock Holmes. Also, your collection of pipes if very impressive. Thanks for taking the time to post such an interesting thread.
pipes001_opt1.jpg


 

chuckw

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2009
679
12
All Peterson's are NOT Army mounts. The System pipes, Army Mounts, both nickle and silver mounted and Spigots are. A pipe like the one you pictured requires the normal cool down time before seperating the stem from the shank. There are a few old Patent System pipes that aren't Army mounts. This 1922 Patent Opera pipe is one example:
DSC_0179_edited-1.jpg

Regarding fills, here is a list I got from Tom Palmer, Peterson's CEO.
Straight Grains and Supremes, both gold and silver mounted, will be fill and pit free.
Deluxe System, Deluxe Classic, Army Spigot, Celtic Natural, Rosslare Natural, Grafton, Hinged Lip Cap Natural and Silver cap may have small root marks but no putty.

All other grades/finishes may have putty or pits. Only 3 to 5 bowls out of 100 will meet the above criteria.
Now, on to my opinion. The ability to run a pipe cleaner from bit to bowl is unimportant to me. Most condensation occurs in the stem where the smoke is rapidly cooled. As long as I can get a pipe cleaner to the end of the tenon, it stops the gurgling, albeit temporairly. Please note also, I tend to smoke my tobacco a little on the dry side and I avoid OTC's like the plague. Too much antifreeze in them.

 

josh

Lurker
Feb 3, 2010
13
0
wow great article. I have 1 Peterson pipe now and hope to acquire more soon :)

 
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