Peterson 999 Pre-Republic Sterling Restore

[ssjones]

This beauty belongs to forum member MJC. I typically don't do work beside pipes for my own collection, because I'm not a professional. He didn't want the worn nomenclature diminished any further, which was easy enough and I just love these early Petersons and in particular the 999 shape, so I said yes.

All the details are on a Reborn Pipes blog entry:

Peterson 999 Sterling Pre-Republic Restoration

By Al Jones This Peterson belongs to a member of the PipesMagazine.com forum who asked me if I could undertake the restoration. He said that the nomenclature was worn and wanted someone to restore …

rebornpipes.com

The pipe was in great shape, so a relatively easy restoration. Curiously, it has what appear to be a filter tenon. I date the pipe from 1947 to 1949 (block COM), and I don't know if filter pipes were available in that era?

Before:

 

[ssjones]

And finished

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Looks gorgeous. Nice work!

 

[OzPiper]

Nice job

 

[MCJ]

And finished

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Awesome job, Al! Really looking forward to smoking this beauty...

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

OMG!!! Great work!

I feel lucky to have a Sterling 999 (featured in that PPN Blog) that Al had restored and made good use of and very generously offered for sale here. It’s one of my top 10 favorite pipes.

 

[VDL_Piper]

I wonder if Peterson ever did an inner tube as I have a Dunhill will very similar drilling as that Pete that has one

 

[MCJ]

This beauty belongs to forum member MJC. I typically don't do work beside pipes for my own collection, because I'm not a professional. He didn't want the worn nomenclature diminished any further, which was easy enough and I just love these early Petersons and in particular the 999 shape, so I said yes.

All the details are on a Reborn Pipes blog entry:

Peterson 999 Sterling Pre-Republic Restoration

By Al Jones This Peterson belongs to a member of the PipesMagazine.com forum who asked me if I could undertake the restoration. He said that the nomenclature was worn and wanted someone to restore …

rebornpipes.com

The pipe was in great shape, so a relatively easy restoration. Curiously, it has what appear to be a filter tenon. I date the pipe from 1947 to 1949 (block COM), and I don't know if filter pipes were available in that era?

Before:
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Al,

I was just reading that link you posted which contains another link titled "114. A Visual History of Peterson's Shape 999". In that link partway down the page there is a photo and description of that author's (rare) 999 Author pipe which may give insight in to the tenon question on my pipe. I can't upload the photo here, but tenon looks like mine and here is relevant text:

"The third thing I want to call your attention to is the tenon extension. Traditionally (if not during the Dublin Era), tenons and mouthpieces have been of great importance to Peterson. This one, while molded and not a bone screw-in, features the extended “chimney” so crucial to correct tenon-mortise airflow for the P-Lip mouthpiece. The graduated bore of the P-Lip as well as this extension makes the pipe a “sub-System” (as we call it in the book), which means that it will perform considerably better than a traditional fishtail. This type of molded extension goes all the way back to the original molded-stem Patent mouthpieces, incidentally, and doesn’t seem to have disappeared (alas!) from the Peterson workshop until the 1950s. This may have been due in part to the fashion of implanting stingers, and not merely to brand amnesia, but whatever the reason, it is unfortunate."

What do you think?

 

[ssjones]

Al,

I was just reading that link you posted which contains another link titled "114. A Visual History of Peterson's Shape 999". In that link partway down the page there is a photo and description of that author's (rare) 999 Author pipe which may give insight in to the tenon question on my pipe. I can't upload the photo here, but tenon looks like mine and here is relevant text:

"The third thing I want to call your attention to is the tenon extension. Traditionally (if not during the Dublin Era), tenons and mouthpieces have been of great importance to Peterson. This one, while molded and not a bone screw-in, features the extended “chimney” so crucial to correct tenon-mortise airflow for the P-Lip mouthpiece. The graduated bore of the P-Lip as well as this extension makes the pipe a “sub-System” (as we call it in the book), which means that it will perform considerably better than a traditional fishtail. This type of molded extension goes all the way back to the original molded-stem Patent mouthpieces, incidentally, and doesn’t seem to have disappeared (alas!) from the Peterson workshop until the 1950s. This may have been due in part to the fashion of implanting stingers, and not merely to brand amnesia, but whatever the reason, it is unfortunate."

What do you think?

Those have internal threads, so the condenser can screw in. Typically there are threads visible or by feel but this tenon is smooth inside. Someone could have removed them. I emailed Mark, and asked when filter pipes were introduced. I post his reply.

 

[MCJ]

Those have internal threads, so the condenser can screw in. Typically there are threads visible or by feel but this tenon is smooth inside. Someone could have removed them. I emailed Mark, and asked when filter pipes were introduced. I post his reply.

Oh, OK. Couldn't see the internal threads. Look forward to hearing what info turns up to help answer the question...

 

[Bbailey324]

Nice work and great looking pipe.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I wonder if Peterson ever did an inner tube as I have a Dunhill will very similar drilling as that Pete that has one

I have a Pre-Republic flat grip with a stinger (is that really like an inner tube?) which the shop in Dublin speculated may have been installed for the US market post-production but they really had very little info.

 

[VDL_Piper]

I have a Pre-Republic flat grip with a stinger (is that really like an inner tube?) which the shop in Dublin speculated may have been installed for the US market post-production but they really had very little info.

View attachment 364248

I don’t think so. Inner tubes are not connected to the bit as I understand it they fee float with the stummel end aligning with the airway. My old Dunhill is in storage otherwise I’d post a pic.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I don’t think so. Inner tubes are not connected to the bit as I understand it they fee float with the stummel end aligning with the airway. My old Dunhill is in storage otherwise I’d post a pic.

Thanks for the info!

 

[RPK]

Beautiful pipe and nice work or cleaning it up.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

That's a beauty! I love those older and larger 999. I have the 2019 Pipe Of The Year which was a one off reissue, but I really wish they'd bring it back permanently.

 

[sablebrush52]

Those have internal threads, so the condenser can screw in. Typically there are threads visible or by feel but this tenon is smooth inside. Someone could have removed them. I emailed Mark, and asked when filter pipes were introduced. I post his reply.

I’ve seen this “stepped” tenon on a number of Barlings that didn’t have a stinger. With the exception of a few specially branded lines of pipes, like the Pipet, Barlings didn’t use stingers. I don’t think that the stepped tenon always indicates that a filter was used.

Nice job on the clean up!

 

[ssjones]

I’ve seen this “stepped” tenon on a number of Barlings that didn’t have a stinger. With the exception of a few specially branded lines of pipes, like the Pipet, Barlings didn’t use stingers. I don’t think that the stepped tenon always indicates that a filter was used.

Nice job on the clean up!

Now that you mention it, I've not seen that kind of stepped tenon on any of the 999's that I worked on (including three 999 Sterlings)

But, looking at my pre-Republic 999 Deluxe, it is missing the condensor, threads are visible. But the hole is the same diameter. Someone or time must have removed the threads. Unfortunately, I don't have a vintage condensor to test.

I haven't heard from Mark yet.

 

[ssjones]

Mark replied, he's a bit stumped as well and didn't have a definitive answer. He mentioned it is more XL999 shaped than John Bull. In contrast to my own 999 Sterling, it is slightly smaller in dimensions. He felt the tenon diameter is not large enough for a "Good Health" filter and reminded me - the early Peterson filter pipes were stamped "Good Health". So, he and I think this pipe did have a condenser (or chimney)