Peterson Pipes - How Satisfied Are You with Them?

[rfernand]

I may have done a disservice by only pointing out the minor issues I’ve encountered.
Most of my Peterson’s smoke very well without issues. A few (a 1S, a POY 2017, two Twain’s, a Darwin, and a Founder’s Edition) are remarkably sweet, superb smokers.

 

[daniel7]

Does any company stay in business for over 150 years, in an industry where the end user is usually quite savvy, by producing "quite a large portion" of defective product?

I'm sure that they produced really good products in the past. And I hope that they will do so in the future as well. But you know, I have two new pipes from them, one is from their higher grades and I can enjoy neither of them. So I feel myself a little bit scammed. This is why I will spend my money on other producers' products.

 

[tavol]

Of course, everyone has their right to opinions and I'm sure that some have had less than stellar experience with Peterson pipes, just as other have had with other brands but you really had to take a step back and ask....
Does any company stay in business for over 150 years, in an industry where the end user is usually quite savvy, by producing "quite a large portion" of defective product?

I wonder the same thing. We have threads like this with lots of posters that criticize Peterson's QC a few times a year but yet we don't appear to have anywhere near as many threads complaining about other companies QC.

 

[ssjones]

I focus on the older, higher grade Petersons and find those to be wonderful smokers.
I'm curious as to what Laudisi does with the brand moving forward. In the last decade the previous owners seem to have made a lot of misteps, particularly in the quality department.

 

[irishearl]

I'd add relative to both the OP and another comment: don't try to clean your pipe rims with anything stronger than spit. If you do, you can lose stain. I apply spit with a tissue after every use and it takes off the accumulated tar. Do not wait til it builds up or you could go dry trying to spit clean it. Do not use hot water on the outside of your pipe. Whether Peterson tends to have more fills than other factory pipes is an open question. Half my Petes are smooth finish including some lower end models and none have fills, though am probably lucky. My biggest fills are on a Jobey and a Sav. The pipe with the most fills is a Willmer, though they are pinpoint and so well disguised you really have to look to find them. Heck, even my 1900 S&G bulldog has a fill. Now I don't own any newer than 2017 and it sounds like the bowl coating most recently used is a pain. As far as how other brand's QC doesn't get complained about here, I do wonder if that's not because of better QC elsewhere but rather because of a tendency for folks to like to single out Peterson because of how folks have heard right or wrong that there is a Pete QC issue and when they have had one they immediately like to gripe about it on forums.

 

[headhunter]

I only have 1......that speaks volumes.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't do much with the Facebook pipe forums, but I do see them when I scroll through, and every now and then I will see someone post... "I just got a Peterson, and it works!! Wow!"

So, now Petersons are like ordering something through a McDonalds Drive Thru window... "Yeh!!! I actually got what I ordered!!! Woohoo!"

 

[tbradsim1]

I am finally boxing pipes I don’t smoke, Peterson’s will be in box.

 

[ophiuchus]

I don't do much with the Facebook pipe forums, but I do see them when I scroll through, and every now and then I will see someone post... "I just got a Peterson, and it works!! Wow!"

So, now Petersons are like ordering something through a McDonalds Drive Thru window... "Yeh!!! I actually got what I ordered!!! Woohoo!"

:roll: - Hyperbolic much?

 

[bassbug]

OK....lets see just how serious the anti Peterson guys are.
I'm willing to buy every single shitty Peterson you have for $10 a piece. Better than having them just sit there and you're never going to smoke them, no?

 

[tbradsim1]

NO, it’s like my Valkyrie, don’t ride anymore, I like to look at it, paid for. Peterson’s in box I know no one will be unhappy. :rofl:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

:roll: - Hyperbolic much?

Ophiuchus, what exactly did I hyperbole about? McDonalds getting some orders right? or that guys were acting like getting a Peterson that works was a great thing? AND, out of all of the posts in this thread, mine was the least critical of Petersons, so get off my ass.

 

[ophiuchus]

If you don't see it, you won't.

 

[ophiuchus]

OK....lets see just how serious the anti Peterson guys are.
I'm willing to buy every single shitty Peterson you have for $10 a piece. Better than having them just sit there and you're never going to smoke them, no?

Careful ... you might get stuck with all the defective ones out there. :lol:

 

[bassbug]

Careful ... you might get stuck with all the defective ones out there. [:lol:]

I can only hope :wink:

 

[jpmcwjr]

OK....lets see just how serious the anti Peterson guys are.
I'm willing to buy every single shitty Peterson you have for $10 a piece. Better than having them just sit there and you're never going to smoke them, no?

Now, that's putting money where the mouth is. Good for you! But I also bet no one takes you up on the offer. It's a good one, and I hope you get some good pipes out of it.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I have 3 Petes so far. They all smoke fantastically well. The coating inside my St. Patrick's Day Pete started coming off after the first smoke, but after cleaning the hell out of it, the coating was mostly gone. The only real issue I've had so far is that the St. Paddy's Day Pete has a stem that whistles. I need to send it in to SP's soon. I just keep forgetting. It came to me that way and whistled from the very first puff and I had no clue it still would while smoking it until I actually smoked it and sure nuff, she whistled through the whole bowl. It smokes great, it just whistles while it works.
Now my Roundstone silver spigot and my Christmas 999 have had no issues whatsoever and are two of my best smokers. The Christmas pipe, for having such a small bowl, smokes flakes phenomenally well. Then again, there's not much it doesn't smoke well.
I'd have to say that overall, I'm very satisfied with my experience, just need to get that whistler fixed!

 

[bassbug]

jp, although I'm more than willing to stand by my offer, it was also meant to put some real meat into this discussion and not just a piling on with a lot of "me too" or "from what I've heard"
But, then again, this IS the internet and its oh so easy to trash talk.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It goes both ways. The supporters of Petersons also annoyingly over-compensate. And, to clarify, I didn't give a story about my bad experiences (even though I could), but you will find these stories everywhere.
I think that the weight and reputation of those on both sides of this issue is enough.
How many times a month do we have someone make an "I just got a new Peterson with this little bity problem... can't send it back... what should I do?" I echo Harris's comment... if your bankroll is so small that getting a dud pipe or losing a $100 bet is going to really hurt your feelings, play a different game.
And, if the history, or them being made by Irish, or you love the looks of those fat little things really appeals to you, then buy all you want. Just don't get one if getting a flop is going to ruin your day. Those of us on both sides of this don't want to hear your... "my new Pete has a hole in it" story. Those of us who aren't particularly crazy about them will tell you "I told you so," and the pro-Peterson camp will call you a liar.
So, if you buy a Pete and it sucks, suck it up buttercup. ::

 

[didimauw]

Hahaha. Valid points Cosmic!