My First Pipe Recommendation

[Briar Lee]

Today I’ve changed the pipe I recommend anyone in my office who admires my vast accumulation of Lee pipes from a Dr. Grabow made Royalton to a Peterson System #307.

I just got one in that’s 75 years old.

It’s the perfect starter pipe, I think.

—-

System Standard Heritage 307​

Our Flagship Line​

Our flagship line, the System Standard stamp first appeared in 1945, but the design has been a staple in our catalogues since Charles Peterson secured his final patent in 1898. Designed to provide a cooler, drier smoke, each pipe features a deep reservoir within the shank to collect excess moisture; a graduated bore mouthpiece that funnels the smoke and allows moisture to collect within the reservoir; a sturdy nickel military mount, which allows the pipe to be broken down and cleaned without damage or warping; and our patented P-Lip bit, which draws the smoke upward, thus reducing tongue bite.
The 307 shape is among Peterson’s largest bent Billiard smoking pipes with a gently upturned shank and moderately curved stem for optimized smoking comfort. The stout shank, substantive Billiard bowl, and gently angled stem are signature Peterson design cues.
With an ebony black acrylic bent stem, rugged rusticated finish, and sturdy nickel mount, this briar tobacco pipe projects a traditional and refined aesthetic.

Peterson System Standard Heritage 307 Tobacco Pipe https://a.co/d/iqqkceE

A Peterson 307 is just over one hundred dollars, brand new.

No pipe at any price will smoke better, last longer, and give more pride to either give or receive.

And, they make you feel like Sherlock Holmes smoking one.

What’s your first pipe recommendation, to somebody who either wants to give a man a pipe, or a man who wants to try out pipe smoking?

 

[AJL67]

So you recommend they run out and grab a 75 yr old Peterson?

 

[mso489]

I love my Petes, but I still think the Royaltons are a dependable recommendation -- readily available, durable, long-lasting, and moderately priced. I've seen the bulldog, its classic Royalton with no bead lines, back in inventory, which I think is the best of the series, and I think is still less than 50 USD. Also, a new pipe obviates a new pipe smoker's aversion to smoking a "used" pipe.

 

[Briar Lee]

So you recommend they run out and grab a 75 yr old Peterson?

If there were gold star Lees, they’d buy them instead.

Used pipes aren’t for beginners.

A man who has no pipe and needs one, ought to have only the best new one a hundred dollars buys.

 

[Briar Lee]

I love my Petes, but I still think the Royaltons are a dependable recommendation -- readily available, durable, long-lasting, and moderately priced. I've seen the bulldog, its classic Royalton with no bead lines, back in inventory, which I think is the best of the series, and I think is still less than 50 USD. Also, a new pipe obviates a new pipe smoker's aversion to smoking a "used" pipe.

A Pete 307 is a first grade pipe with a sleeve and gift box.


A Royalton is a top of the line drugstore pipe, and comes in a blister package.

No comparison on the nice present factor.

 

[AJL67]

If there were gold star Lees, they’d buy them instead.

Used pipes aren’t for beginners.

A man who has no pipe and needs one, ought to have only the best new one a hundred dollars buys.

I’m one of the poors i have to take my good natured shots at you where possible. In all seriousness nothing but respect!

 

[petes03]

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

@Briar Lee - I have to say I'm not sure how your endorsement is going to play out for us Peterson "fans", lol!

I'm biased, since my first pipe was a Peterson SH Rathbone, and I just picked up a coupled of 68 shapes that I think will be pretty good for less than $100.

Lots of options out there from lots of sources, a 307 is certainly a good one.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

View attachment 164459

Put a stem on that head and that’ll be the new @Briar Lee pipe recommendation.

 

[ashdigger]

 

[Briar Lee]

I cannot imagine somebody buys this nice of briar today for $100,

But you can still buy a 307 for $100, in a sleeve, new in the box.

What else could anybody get for $100 even half as nice?

 

[K.E. Powell]

A Peterson system can be an excellent first pipe, provided the new piper is taught properly how to care and clean them, and how best to use the P-lip for maximum effect should it be a system with a P-lip in the first place (which, I argue, is probably a wise addition, since tongue bite is one of the key things that drives away neophytes).

My first pipe was a MM Charlestown cob. I liked it aesthetically, and at $30, the price was right. But did it suit me optimally as a first pipe? In many ways it did. I took the (mostly awful) advice of strictly sticking with aromatics, and I find the natural sweetness of the cobs (to say nothing of their disposability; several rounds of goopy cherry aros can do a hurtin' on a pipe, especially with a neophyte that is not diligent about cleaning and care) to pair with those kinds of tobaccos nicely. Also, unlike most, I found, and still find, to a lesser extent, cobs to be cool looking. Must be the Appalachian in me.

In any event, my first two cobs, which I still have, served me well and I continue to break them out when I feel like smoking a sugar bomb or codger blend. But I prefer briars most of all, even over meerschaum, for reasons I won't bother to get into.

To me, people get way too hyped up what their first pipe should be, and not enough on what tobaccos they should try, or learning to cultivate the routine necessary to properly care for their tobacco and their pipes. Your first pipe should be one you find visually pleasing, should be of decent quality, and should fit your budget. I liked piping when I was just smoking aros with cobs, but I LOVED it when I branched out with quality briars, different tobacco blends, and treating the care and cleaning of the artifacts of my alchemy as not just a chore, but a ritual just as important and enjoyable as the smoking itself.

 

[VirginiaMan]

Don’t get me wrong a nice pipe as a first is a great thing. That being said I would recommend anyone who has no experience in smoking a pipe start with a cob or a cheap basket pipe to make sure they are going to enjoy the nuances and learning curve of smoking a pipe. Why waste 100+ on a pipe to only make it through a tin of tobacco? Smoking a pipe is not for the lazy in my opinion.

 

[romaso]

A man who has no pipe and needs one, ought to have only the best new one a hundred dollars buys.

The 307 is probably my favorite. I got a rustic one within the last year for $77 on Xmas sale. Still, I think something like a Rossi or inexpensive Stanwell (I like briar) would be more accessible for most people at under $50, with the saved funds being spent on a wider assortment of tobacco samples, the important part! If they like pipe smoking, they can move up, and the first pipe becomes a camping or yard pipe.

 

[romaso]

Why waste 100+ on a pipe to only make it through a tin of tobacco?

Maybe they'd give it to you if they didn't like it?

 

[VirginiaMan]

Maybe they'd give it to you if they didn't like it?

I like the way you think.

 

[hugodrax]

I do recommend Peterson Systems to people starting out in my shop. The system works!

Although if we carried Falcons, I'd recommend them. No need to learn how to smoke a pipe if you own a Falcon.

 

[romaso]

I do recommend Peterson Systems to people starting out in my shop. The system works!

Although if we carried Falcons, I'd recommend them. No need to learn how to smoke a pipe if you own a Falcon.

How do the Falcon chambers compare in size with a Large or XL Peterson (an XL90 chamber being 0.08" x 1.6")?
I've been looking at the Algiers, Billiard, Dover & Dublin bowls online, and different retailers list vastly different bowl dimensions.

 

[hugodrax]

How do the Falcon chambers compare in size with a Large or XL Peterson (an XL90 chamber being 0.08" x 1.6")?
I've been looking at the Algiers, Billiard, Dover & Dublin bowls online, and different retailers list vastly different bowl dimensions.

They don't. By modern standards, Falcons are quite small, and it makes sense. They were designed for a time when smokers smoked more powerful tobacco and if you buy a giant extra-large bowl, you'll change your dentition in a hurry.

 

[K.E. Powell]

Although if we carried Falcons, I'd recommend them. No need to learn how to smoke a pipe if you own a Falcon.

I'm not very familiar with Falcons, to be honest. What exactly makes them accessible to newbies, in your opinion?