The system standard is definitely harder (acrylic) and awkward to clench as opposed to the spigot, there is sort of a sweet spot in my teeth when I clench that took me a little bit to discover but once I got it down clenching hasn't been an issue. The Sherlock Holmes Squire is by far a better clencher than my systems, the stem is wider and the p-lip has a slimmer profile. I definitely love the p-lip in general but there is a few issues with both my Systems, the standards draft hole is a little high which makes it difficult to burn the tobacco all the way to the bottom, but that can be overcome with the Peterson pack method. As stated above by Bullet08 the spigots stem does not sit very far in the mortise and because of that it can gurgle at times, (though the standard doesn't sit much deeper) as it seems to collect moisture in the stem itself instead of the well, though the well does pick up some moisture. That can be overcome by removing the stem and blowing the moisture out during your smoke. (thanks to the Army mount). Moving forward I would probably not buy a system standard or spigot again, though I have no regrets, they're both great smokers aside from those couple of minor issues! The system 302 is the benchmark I use for testing a new blend, if it doesn't smoke good in that pipe it just ain't a good tobacco! Will probably stick to the deluxe system in the future, been eyeballing the b42 since I got into pipe smoking, the vulcanite stem and the stem extension should take care of both issues with my other two pipes, and the b42 just looks goooood! Unfortunately the b42 deluxe system smooth has been harder to find than Esoterica tobacco! the Sherlock Holmes Squire definitely impressed me and it is a great smoker! Will be picking up a few more Sherlock Holmes pipes in the future because of it! I hope this helped answer your questions.All three are beautiful choices!
Do you find any difference in the p-lip buttons between the three of them?
On the images the buttons on Sherlock Holmes Squire and the spigot 307 seem to be more delicate and elongated as opposed to the button on the standard system 302. Is that right or is this only an optical illusion in my eyes? Any difference in clenching between the three pipes that you find?
The reason I wonder is thatI am having second thoughts about my own standard system 313. I like clenching my pipes, as I often enjoy a smoke when walking my dog and I need my hands free. After doing some research, I got myself the rusticated 313. I love the looks, the quality, the dimensions and the feel of it in the hand BUT… when it comes to clenching, I find the thickness of the stem and the bulkiness of the p-lip bit a little to much… a little too much of a stem in my mouth. It feels clunky and awkward.
With some further reading (including some helpful insights in this thread) and staring at the images of p-lips on various models and lines, it does seem to me that not all p-lips are created equal. On some pipes such as the Deluxe System B42, the Sherlock Holmes Deerstalker, Sherlock Holmes Mycroft and perhaps some of System Spigots the buttons have a slimmer profile, hence would feel a little less intrusive when clenched??? I understand that these models are probably not the best for clenching given their dimensions and ergonomics, but I am also interested in adding another Peterson to my collection which I would use for longer seated sessions when I actually can hand-hold the pipe for longer periods of time. For that purpose I, still, would prefer a more delicate and slimmer p-lip bit on the pipe.
Anyone else has similar observations or any useful guidance on selection a model? How are p-lips in the Pub and / or the House Pipes?