Peterson versus everyone else

[jsiddle]

I have owned 3 Savinellis in the past and all 3 of them sit on my shelf now.

Wanna open up some shelf space sir?
I'll take the terribly hot or poorly drilled

 

[numbersix]

I do not believe I would want to go through the hassle of purchasing a pipe with issues. Many of us today buy pipes online as they are priced much better then a B&M. for me it would be a pain in the butt to call people, get a return label and go to the post office.

I can completely understand that POV. If I didn't like the looks of Petersons so much, I'd probably choose Stanwell over them. But when I look at new Savs or Stanwells, I find I am only attracted to a small percentage of their pipes - most just don't do it for me.
The topic of shoddy workmanship does keep coming up, but I sometimes wonder if it's just because more people are buying Petes. Might be my imagination, but when I see a post about a new pipe someone just bought, seems more often it's a Peterson rather than a Stanwell or even a Sav. Not saying that's true, just my perception.
I only own 2 new Petes, one had issues, the other didn't. Ultimately, they are both excellent smokers and high quality. But next time I buy a new Pete online, I will definitely look it over carefully, check the draw and if I see a problem, I will send it right back and get a new one. IMHO, sending back a new Pete isn't *that* likely. Plus for me it's not too much trouble if it means getting the pipe I really want.

 

[jsiddle]

I guess with this first pipe purchase, I wanted to make sure it was a wonderful pipe, due to it being my first nice one that I will be gauging everything off of later, know what I mean?
I didnt want an improper airway to alter my opinions on toby blends, other pipes or the entire pipe smoking hobby in general... I am basing my entire experience off of this savinelli now

 

[judcole]

I got one Pete - it's a second, with a slight surface blemish - and two Stans. One of those Stans is at the higher end of their range, and is miles beyond the other Stan or the Pete. I also have an old Comoy which ranks right up there. Would probably buy another Stan if I was shopping in that price range.

 

[numbersix]

@ numbersix If I may ask, did Peterson reimburse your fees for sending that pipe back to Ireland?

Nope and I'll admit that was a bit of a problem. I don't mind so much sending it back to a shop in the states, but to ship insured to Ireland was way too much (over $30). I opted to risk sending it uninsured and had no issues, so all in all, shipping 2x cost me $11.
It was definitely a hassle, I won't argue with that—but this pipe will most likely outlast me; so all in all, I'd rather jump an extra hurdle if it means having a pipe I genuinely appreciate for the rest of my life.

 

[mrenglish]

I have had some issues with new Peterson's but have picked up 18 new ones this year. Of those, 3-4 had issues that required some repair. One had a stem that was not bent correctly, one was a 999 that could not get a pipe cleaner into the bowl, so sent it off for repair and its smoking like a champ now. The 3rd was a Kapp Royal 03 that had draft hole higher than the bottom of the bowl.
That said, these have been the easiest Peterson's I have ever broken in over the years I have been smoking them. I will continue to purchase them, but just check for issues before I purchase. I've turned down buying maybe another 4-6 Peterson's due to issues, mostly due to not being able to get a pipe cleaner into the bowl on bent pipes. Unless it really calls to you, I would recommend with either going with a military bit or system pipe for bents.
Mike

 

[deleon]

I agree with numbersix, you just get drawn to a Peterson. So far I've had zero problems with any of mine, waiting on another one to get here next week.

 

[mtpipe]

I love my "Cara" Peterson. A great value. I think I paid $80.

 

[instymp]

I have 4 Stans, love em all, but Roth is right, my only complaint, they take longer to break in. Then all of a sudden its like heaven. I am more interested in what smokes good, so if I buy a $80 - $100 pipe & it turns into a great smoker, I am happy. I don't have anything I am going to hang on the wall. And I have some purty new Savs, & they take a while to get right too.

 

[rcstan]

I have 9 Petes plus a Shamrock I just got off the 'Bay and is on the way. Three were bought new. Two of those were NOS, an Aran 03 with the nylon bag which was spot on, and a Donegal XL90 with the nylon bag as well and silver hallmark of 2006 which is a great smoker .... and now I got on this ( and other ) threads about perfect engineering and noticed the stem and the bowl are drilled slightly off-center but no ill effects. The third is another Aran 999 of the newer ( not newest, because it seems that the newest Arans have dropped the nickel band altogether ) crop with the velvety bag , that one it spot on as well but it had a rather dull finish. The Aran 03 took a while longer to break in as it was of the "bare bowl with varnish" variety ( I wiped the bowl down with alcohol to get all the stain out before first smoking it ), the other two had the pre-carbed bowls.
One of the estate Petes , this System 305 "Made in the Republic of Ireland" , which I presume to be about 15-20 years old, has 5 fills! So it's not a new thing, this whole supposedly-bad QC.
Personally, if the pipe looks good and smokes well, I have no complaints. I like the looks of the Petes, they stand out.