Peterson Zulu Drilling

[craiginthecorn]

I just received a Peterson antique nickel cap Zulu. It's generally quite nice, unless you look really close. Being a "natural" finish, the sandpits are more obvious. There are several shallow marks, which are in a dark contracting color. I think I can live with those, although a bit disappointed. The drilling is both a bit off center and lower than I believe is optimal. Essentially, the top of the draft hole is what meets the bottom of the conical chamber. My understanding is that the proper location is to have the bottom of the draft hole meet the bottom of the chamber. Will this likely smoke poorly?

 

[btp79]

Isn't there a rule or something that says you can't describe an awesome pipe and not post a picture? :D
Just kidding, I've had some pipes with a similar drilling format, they smoke fine except the tobacco in the bottom 15% or so of the bowl won't burn

 

[Waning Embers]

I've never bought into the belief of the draft being flush with the bottom of the bowl. As long as you have an unrestricted draw, that pipe should smoke fine.

 

[sasquatch]

Lots of handmade German pipes are drilled that way on purpose (mimicry I suspect of the tyrolean screw-in type bowls, with a dead-centered hole).
I wouldn't worry about it. I find that sometimes pipes drilled that way will clog up if I pack them wrong. But... so will any other drilling.

 

[seacaptain]

Ah, Peterson. They'll be plenty of people along soon with different opinions. I think the general consensus is that their quality is inconsistent. FWIW, I had one Peterson a couple of years ago and it was "ok" but not great.
Save yourself the trouble and get a Savinelli.

 

[mso489]

Is this pipe well smoked already? The way the char has settled may give a clue, or if the pipe hasn't been smoked much, that might be another clue. I'd be surprised if this is a major problem, but I have never had a pipe drilled that way. I have Savinelli unfinished pipes, some of them decades old, but drilled in the conventional way.

 

[mikethompson]

Life is too short to be bothered with pipes you aren't satisfied with. Will it smoke ok? Probably, maybe. If it bothers you enough to think about it while you light up, you are taking away from the calming effects of pipe smoking in my opinion.

 

[seacaptain]

Life is too short to be bothered with pipes you aren't satisfied with.

Good advice. If I don't like a pipe, it's not going to be around for long.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Thanks all. This is a new pipe despite the antique cap. I've never returned a pipe, but I think that's what I'm going to do. If it was an estate, I'd just smoke it and find out. Oh well. It's disappointing. I like the general appearance of the pipe and the cap, too, but it's too pricey to take an unnecessary risk.

 

[unkleyoda]

I'd send it back.
That's too bad, I thought Peterson's QC was getting better, I guess not. I'm a big Peterson fan, but some things are just inexcusable. You'd think that if the briar has sand pits, they'd stain it dark or rusticate it.
I own 50+ Petes, most of mine are estate pipes, but 1/4 were new to me. I've only ended up with one stinker. The upside, is it is a low end billiard. It still sucks, but it still smokes, just not great. It's become my 'I don't care what happens to it' pipe.
The only solace is that you can return it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Couldn't find the nickel cap Zulu, but this is the cap, no?

I'd be more bothered by the pits than the drilling. Will it pass a pipe cleaner?
I seriously considered getting a nickel cap, but I really hate pits and fills.

 

[craiginthecorn]

OK, here are a bunch of photos. I dunno. I'm still on the fence on this one. There is a drill bit inserted in the draft hole in my attempt to provide a decent view of the drilling. The majority of the hole is located below what would have been the bottom of the chamber. The sand pits are not deep, but fairly numerous and quite contrasty. I much prefer this situation to fills, however.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I'm usually one to stick up for Peterson. Drilling a little off center is ok, if not too bad. Drilling a bit high is ok too, as some makers do that on purpose to prevent gurgle. But I wouldn't be happy with that pipe at all. It's drilled too low. It looks like after drilling the draft first, they drilled the chamber to meet it. But they didn't drill the chamber quite deep enough. If a pipe is prime candidate for clogging or gurgling, it would be that. The draft is either going to get clogged with tobacco, or the moisture is going to collect where the drilling meets and gurgle.

 

[seacaptain]

So much wrong with that pipe.

 

[jensen]

Now I can see what you mean. I would just have smoked it, but you should send it back as you will never be happy with it.

 

[headhunter]

Every Peterson I have picked up will not pass a cleaner. As I am anal about a cleaner passing, I do not own a Peterson. I don’t know how a supposedly premium pipe maker with an apparent good reputation stays in business.

 

[elpfeife]

I was looking seriously at that pipe. It is quite handsome and the 268 I have is a fine pipe. I hesitated thinking I should inquire about fills, etc. A few sandpits wouldn't bother me. They can add some "character".

However, that pipe has quite a collection of pits and coupled with the drilling I doubt I would keep it.

 

[balkisobrains]

That does not look like what you want.
::

 

[oldmansmoking]

The problem with Peterson pipes are they are mass produced. Its ok if you can pick them up cheap!

 

[craiginthecorn]

I'm on a roll! I just received a beautifully refurbished McCarter from Chance Whittamore (great-estate-pipes on eBay) with a well-centered, but unfortunately, with an equally low draft hole. There's plenty of wood there to lower the chamber. I might just do that with this one.
To me, the biggest issue with the low draft hole is that in the event the hole is clogged mid-smoke, the low drilling makes it unlikely that you'd be able to clear the clog with a pipe cleaner.