Luck With Petersons

[mso489]

I have a fanciful theory about why I have not had quality control problems with my Peterson pipes bought over the past twelve years or so, maybe eight of them. (I fear a serious pipe census that will reveal the severity of my PAD.) I think my luck has been that I have never busted my bloomers going high end but always bought middle and low end, and secondly, that I have bought all my pipes new from big online retailers (mostly Forums sponsors) who may have a little leverage in buying the pipes wholesale, and who may have a better staff informal quality control. I haven't bought any system pipes, and I have only bought one P-lip. This is all magical thinking, but I have had better than average satisfaction with Petes. I love the slightly bulky but nicely designed (to me) look of the pipes and the way they feel substantial in hand, whatever the size. If I'm a little too cheerful about the Peterson brand, that's the reason.

 

[verporchting]

Not sure I agree.

It’s been hit or miss for me. I bought five new pipes all from major online retailers including sponsors. Two straights had no issues. Two bents were horribly drilled, both had stems that were so crooked it offended the senses and the most expensive one also had tons of stain in the bowl and shank. One low end has minor drilling issues but passes a cleaner with some fiddling and doesn’t gurgle so it’s fine. The 999 was an atrocious example and not a cheap pipe. Really turned me off the brand. I’ve got two older Republic models that are outstanding pipes, but the ones bought in the last five years have been just okay to not even a little okay. Before I’d buy another one I’d have to see it in person and closely examine it for all those issues. Price point and finish didn’t seem to matter as much as straight vs bent. Just my experiences. YMMV.

 

[irishearl]

Been buying Petes for many years, old, new, lower and higher end. Never had a problematic 1, though do know some have not been that lucky.

 

[anotherbob]

yeah mine is great. It's not a high end one at all. Then again I tend to like mid range pipes the most.

 

[mso489]

verpor', that is some frustration. I'm hoping the change in ownership at Peterson will improve QC, but if I'd had your experience, I'd never buy another Pete of any kind.

 

[verporchting]

verpor', that is some frustration. I'm hoping the change in ownership at Peterson will improve QC, but if I'd had your experience, I'd never buy another Pete of any kind.

Yeah, that thought has crossed my mind but I really do like some of their pipes.

The ones that are drilled properly and without bent stems smoke beautifully and there’s something appealing about the substantial styling that appeals. Have to admit their rustication sometimes looks like somebody turned on a dremel tool and dropped it in a bucket of stummels but for some reason I do enjoy the darn things. ?

Every once in awhile I see one that just stands out like the 2017 POY sandblasted - what a nice looking pipe! I’ve been tempted but I still think I’d want to handle it before buying.

Never had any issues with Savinelli pipes sharing the same price point so I tend towards them a bit more after getting snakebit a few times by the Petes.

 

[mtwaller]

@mso489 I love that you are a quiet champion for the brand. Mine have been hit or miss, and most are decently mid to high end. But I still adore the aesthetics and proportions of Peterson pipes. The ones that are awesome are freaking awesome!

In my experience, I’ve had to experiment and find particular blends that smoke best in each pipe. My first Rosslare Royal Irish smoked like hot garbage until I found the right blend (Captain Earle’s Mystic). It’s still one of the most beautiful pipes I own, but dang if it wasn’t a struggle to get it working right. Now it’s an absolute treasure in my rotation.

Same with my natural silver mounted army. It’s a stunner, but smoked hot until I tried C&D XX Flake in it. Now they are a match made in heaven. Dedicated VaPer pipe all day.

I wish they performed with less flaws out of the box, but I truly believe they are worth the effort. Peterson has been a labor of love, in my limited experience. I can only believe that the new production pipes are getting better under new ownership. Great things are to come!

 

[mikethompson]

I only had one bad experience with a Peterson, that was a gift. The stamping was a little blurry and the drilling was slightly off. It was exchanged for a new one.

Estate Peterson's have been great, perhaps because the bad ones get tossed or returned to Ireland. I have a 2015 Christmas pipe which aside from a bad ghost to start with, has been a solid pipe.

 

[petes03]

As you can probably tell from my handle and avatar, I’m a pretty big Peterson fan. I’ve owned 25-30 of them, straights and bents. I’ve never had a serious issue with any of them. I’ve sold and traded a few off, but Petersons still make up a big chunk of my collection. I enjoy their shapes, and the way most of them smoke. The only ones I’ve not been a huge fan of were a straight System 31, and a smooth Barrel. Those are a couple of the ones that are no longer in my collection.

 

[petes03]

verpor', that is some frustration. I'm hoping the change in ownership at Peterson will improve QC, but if I'd had your experience, I'd never buy another Pete of any kind.

Who bought them out?

 

[gamzultovah]

Maybe @BROBS will chime in?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Who bought them out?

Laudasi

 

[BROBS]

@mso489 I love that you are a quiet champion for the brand. Mine have been hit or miss, and most are decently mid to high end. But I still adore the aesthetics and proportions of Peterson pipes. The ones that are awesome are freaking awesome!

In my experience, I’ve had to experiment and find particular blends that smoke best in each pipe. My first Rosslare Royal Irish smoked like hot garbage until I found the right blend (Captain Earle’s Mystic). It’s still one of the most beautiful pipes I own, but dang if it wasn’t a struggle to get it working right. Now it’s an absolute treasure in my rotation.

Same with my natural silver mounted army. It’s a stunner, but smoked hot until I tried C&D XX Flake in it. Now they are a match made in heaven. Dedicated VaPer pipe all day.

I wish they performed with less flaws out of the box, but I truly believe they are worth the effort. Peterson has been a labor of love, in my limited experience. I can only believe that the new production pipes are getting better under new ownership. Great things are to come!

Yes some definitely seem to require more break-in than other pipes. I’m not sure why. I’d bet now that it’s broken in you could smoke anything in it and be ok.

I think their quality is definitely going up, however I just had an experience with an airway not lining up to the p-lip hole. This was on a deluxe model retailing at roughly $200. To me this is unacceptable. A pipe of that level should not have passed through with a flaw like that. The stummel is flawless.

So I’m not a big fan of their acrylic system stems either as they’re awfully thick. They are smokable but that’s about the best I can say for them.

so while the quality is definitely improving I won’t be buying a new Peterson again as this last one has turned into nothing short of a pain in my ass. All for spending money with them on a brand new pipe! Guess I’ll stick to estates.

And oddly enough the Italian handmades I’ve been buying for less than that system have had amazing airways. Peterson/Laudisi needs to rethink their stem work as it’s killing them.

 

[lawdawg]

For some of us, it's important that the pipe be able to easily pass a cleaner. I know this is an oft-debated issue, and I'm on the side of "must pass a cleaner" which I believe to be supported by physics / fluid dynamics. I think it's safe to say that if you want to be confident your new pipe will pass a cleaner, probably don't go with a bent Pete. My rather minimalist pipe collection includes one Peterson army mount straight apple, and I really like it. However, at the ~$100 price point (give or take $50) I've had much better luck with Savinellis, so of course I've got several of them in my collection, and think they are generally a much better buy in that price range.

 

[skydog]

I'm a big fan of Pete's and have had good luck with their straight pipes in the low and mid tiers. The cheaper bent Pete's I have don't pass a pipe cleaner but they all smoke wonderfully. Savinelli does make some wonderful pipes in the same price range but I find I reach for my Pete's more often than any of the Savinelli's I own.

 

[smittyd]

I have 6 and love every one of them!

 

[mso489]

The only Pete of mine that didn't break-in quickly is my rusticated K&P slightly bent author. It's always been a sufficient smoker, with a broad ample bowl and open draw, but it never quite wrapped itself around blends for maybe a year or more. Then one day, it just fell in step. I'm not sure what happened -- the carbon layer thickened, the briar dried out, or I just hit the right blend, maybe. I thought it was just a less good smoker until then.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Definitely Petersons do require longer breaking in period than other pipes I have come across,,

 

[anotherbob]

yeah my one Pete took longer to break in and more so had the most dramatic difference between pre breaking in and breaking in of any pipe I've owned. There is always some difference but it was more dramatic. I'll put it this way it's the only pipe I've felt slightly ripped off over at first. Nothing terrible but I thought I should have picked another pipe in the price range, now that it's broken in it smoke great.

 

[mso489]

For full bent Petersons, I'd recommend the B11 bent brandy shape. It's a sitter and is sometimes also described as a volcano, though I see it more brandy. Mine do not pass a pipe cleaner for me, but they are easily and fully cleaned, taking off the stems from time to time. They have been excellent in every respect.