This pipe is pretty good sized and perfect for the P-lip - I’m really not a clencher, but this one hangs easily while I type this.
Peterson Pipes, the P-Lip, and Army Mounts
- Thread starter The Amish Tyrant
- Start date
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A man doesn’t live by Lees alone.
Peterson likely makes the most popular, reasonably priced top quality factory pipes today.
I just bought a 1946-7 Peterson 307 for about the same price as a new one.
It has three classic Peterson features.
The P lip makes it easy to clench and directs smoke away from your tongue.
The military mount means no cracked tenons or cracked shanks.
The reservoir in the shank catches water to keep the smoke dry.
I already owned a couple of them, but I wanted a post war model, to keep my Lees company.
Peterson likely makes the most popular, reasonably priced top quality factory pipes today.
I just bought a 1946-7 Peterson 307 for about the same price as a new one.
It has three classic Peterson features.The P lip makes it easy to clench and directs smoke away from your tongue.
The military mount means no cracked tenons or cracked shanks.
The reservoir in the shank catches water to keep the smoke dry.
I already owned a couple of them, but I wanted a post war model, to keep my Lees company.
The Peterson Army Mounts are the only Peterson pipes I'll buy. I love the two I've purchased in the last year. I like that I can take off the stem while the pipe is still hot. I've had the worst luck with taking off a stem when the pipe is still warm. Broke too many tenons. In fact, I just sent a handmade Boswell Bing back to Boswell's for a stem replacement due to a broken tenon and the pipe was hardly warm when I took off the stem. Give me a Military Mount anytime.
It took me a little while to come around to the P-lip, but I enjoy them now that their virtues are more apparent to me. They are slightly harder to clean, but only slightly, and I have a tendency to enjoy puffing sometimes, and a P-lip lets me indulge that a bit more than a typical fishtail (though I enjoy those just fine, too). I think for most people, if they use the P-lip correctly, i.e., they have their clench positions so their tongue rests below the "button," so to speak, they'll get more mileage out of it. Some people's dentition and clenching habits preclude all that, though. In any event, I don't know if I prefer them to fishtails, but I at least like them just as much.
The army mounts are cool because they make replacing the stems way easier. That may sound like small potatoes, but if you accidentally drop your pipe, a good chunk of briar will likely manage, but the stem? Maybe not, and for many pipes, that means the end of the road or a trip to someone who knows how to repair them. But with a mount, you just buy a new stem and you're good to go.
As an aside, as far as I can tell, most Peterson P-lip replacements just come in black. Does anyone know of any reputable retailers that sell replacement P-lips in other colors? I'm a sucker for colorful stems; it's one of the reasons I am fond of Neerup pipes. I know Peterson can churn out some colorful fishtail stems; their Dracula and Derry pipes are such examples, but I don't think I ever saw a P-lip in anything other than black or green.
The army mounts are cool because they make replacing the stems way easier. That may sound like small potatoes, but if you accidentally drop your pipe, a good chunk of briar will likely manage, but the stem? Maybe not, and for many pipes, that means the end of the road or a trip to someone who knows how to repair them. But with a mount, you just buy a new stem and you're good to go.
As an aside, as far as I can tell, most Peterson P-lip replacements just come in black. Does anyone know of any reputable retailers that sell replacement P-lips in other colors? I'm a sucker for colorful stems; it's one of the reasons I am fond of Neerup pipes. I know Peterson can churn out some colorful fishtail stems; their Dracula and Derry pipes are such examples, but I don't think I ever saw a P-lip in anything other than black or green.
A question about Peterson System pipes.
I’m sitting here savoring every puff of bowl number six today in my 1946-7 Pete 307.
Even though it’s not broken in yet, this is one of the best smokers I own.
But the reservoir is very wet, although it still smokes bone dry.
If this was your only pipe, would the shank soon get soaked and the whole sheebang turn into a sour, smelly rank mess in a few weeks?
These things are tough to keep clean, aren’t they?
I’m sitting here savoring every puff of bowl number six today in my 1946-7 Pete 307.
Even though it’s not broken in yet, this is one of the best smokers I own.
But the reservoir is very wet, although it still smokes bone dry.
If this was your only pipe, would the shank soon get soaked and the whole sheebang turn into a sour, smelly rank mess in a few weeks?
These things are tough to keep clean, aren’t they?
I also think part of it is just back lash. I've met a few pete heads and most just like petes but a few swear up and down you haven't smoked a pipe till you've smoked a petereson. In fact I've had people tell me that all other pipes aren't real pipes. That said I really like my two Petersons. The only two other pipes I've owned more then one of are O.D. cobs and Falcons.
super easy to clean. Just take the stem out and you can shake out the moisture. Or use a paper towel or pipe cleaner. Nah they clean super easy.
I remember when I got into smoking a pipe back in 2010, people then were bashing them for their quality control and bad drilling, but I’ve never experienced any of that.
Maybe I’m lucky, but I have about 15-20 of them, and the only ones I don’t really use are some of the St Patrick models just because the shape doesn’t suit me.
I was wanting to try different shapes but I’ll keep them just for the reason they are holiday pipes.
I think part of it is they're pretty popular. And a lot of them leave the factory. I've noticed when less popular brands make a bad pipe people often say it's weird a fluke.
I prefer to use a Q-Tip to clean the well.
also rest them after the smoke for a while with the stem out helps keep the well dry
I really like the way Petersons look. Every time I look on smokingpipes.com I see a handful that I want. I've owned 5 or 6 Petersons over the past few years and I only have one in my collection right now. There weren't any fundamental issues with the pipes, but I don't know, I didn't enjoy smoking them as much as the rest of my pipes, including ones that cost significantly less. I have a system standard b42 right now that I love. I'll inevitably buy another Peterson at some point.
You ever try stuffing a little cotton wad in the well? I'll do that and run the same one all day then flick it out with a pipe cleaner after hitting the stem.
I have not used a Q-tip on a pipe in a long while. Before I realized I should regularly clean the mortise I would go through four or five to get that area clean. But a q-tip works good for that. Though I find the well is easiest to clean with the fat end of a tapered cleaner.
I keep a handful of q-tips in the pipe cleaner jar for this. Gets right down to the taper in the well. Remove the stem anytime and swab out the well!
one neat thing about the well is you can see how different the wet from different blends is. Some more watery some thicker. And some darker and some lighter.
I have done that. That does work.
BTW, if you need to tap out some ash from a System pipe, SWAB OUT THE WELL FIRST, or all that liquid will leak out at the military bit all over your hand!
I just hit the ash with the stick part of the pipe tool and then hold the pipe sideways and toss the ash. It is an outdoor move but it works great. Never had liquid go into the stem from doing that.