The Case of the Cracked Peterson

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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,334
Humansville Missouri
I own too many pipes, maybe.

This evening I drove to get some fish at a little drive in that has a big fish fry every Friday smoking my latest Lee, and arriving home in a door pocket of my car I spied my little Peterson. I’d wondered where it was, and now the misplaced is found.

Just like Christmas the day after Groundhog Day, you know?

Then I remembered last summer leaving my camper at the farm smoking it, and I must have put in in the door pocket.

I’ve just fired it up, and to my horror, the thing is cracked. One place pretty bad, and two more won’t get any better.

52A3061A-9F09-4966-83B2-02B782356A6A.jpeg6B88421D-EDA8-4AE5-80F5-94412F38800C.jpeg

I examined it closer and the letters are nearly rubbed off, then I remembered buying it new over thirty years ago on sale, and it arrived as varnished as any Medico ever sold at Katz Drug Store for two dollars. I’d stripped it myself, and vowed to never strip another Peterson. I remember too, it was a hot smoker even after I stripped it.

Then it’s spent about thirty summers in broiling heat in the summer, and frigid cold in the winter in my milk barn and later on my camper, and last summer I hauled it back home.

It has cured out. It’s a wonderful smoker now, and rather pretty if I don’t look too close.

02C612D8-30F1-4225-AD42-1A387359BF22.jpegA98A9279-3BB9-46E0-94FC-17697CEEEC62.jpeg

The only thing I guess to do is haul it back to the farm this spring,

It would make a nice glove box pipe for my Yamaha Rhino, to smoke in Spout Spring Hollow.

I’d not have to explain to anyone why I smoked a cracked Peterson in those woods.:)
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,334
Humansville Missouri
System Standard 313? Would be a nice flake pipe.
I remember that one was part of a three Petersons for one mail order special sale. Pick three shapes, send price of one.

You should see the other two cheap, shiny, hot smoking little %}+*.:)

But hey, they have the the P lip, are genuine Petersons, and maybe they’ve cured out now,,,,

If I can find em’.:)
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,334
Humansville Missouri
I love those pipes such a shame.
I doubt Peterson would do today what they did in the late eighties or early ninties.

I took the Thompson’s Cigar catalog.

They always had $19.99 and $29.99 pipe specials but not Peterson pipes on sale.

Pete had to contract a whole bunch of pipes to run that three for one special.

They used the youngest, smallest ebachons of briar they had and slapped a coat of polyethylene on them.

The good old days of Peterson quality are today.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,636
2,722
41
United States Of America
I doubt Peterson would do today what they did in the late eighties or early ninties.

I took the Thompson’s Cigar catalog.

They always had $19.99 and $29.99 pipe specials but not Peterson pipes on sale.

Pete had to contract a whole bunch of pipes to run that three for one special.

They used the youngest, smallest ebachons of briar they had and slapped a coat of polyethylene on them.

The good old days of Peterson quality are today.
Interesting, I thought they were always great. I don't own one yet but I was debating a vintage. The more you know. New it is.
 
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didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
10,665
37,352
SE WI
I doubt Peterson would do today what they did in the late eighties or early ninties.

I took the Thompson’s Cigar catalog.

They always had $19.99 and $29.99 pipe specials but not Peterson pipes on sale.

Pete had to contract a whole bunch of pipes to run that three for one special.

They used the youngest, smallest ebachons of briar they had and slapped a coat of polyethylene on them.

The good old days of Peterson quality are today.
That's gotta be the first time I've heard someone say that new petes are better.
 

craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
6,159
52,927
Minnesota USA
I doubt Peterson would do today what they did in the late eighties or early ninties.

I took the Thompson’s Cigar catalog.

They always had $19.99 and $29.99 pipe specials but not Peterson pipes on sale.

Pete had to contract a whole bunch of pipes to run that three for one special.

They used the youngest, smallest ebachons of briar they had and slapped a coat of polyethylene on them.

The good old days of Peterson quality are today.
Cool story bro…

I have Peterson pipes that were manufactured and bought new in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Don’t recall any poly finishes, even on the lowly Limericks. Where do you get your info from? A crystal ball?
 

TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,426
Sweden
Nice grain, and as long as it smokes nice, why not just smoke it?

As my daddy always used to say,
it's better to smoke a cracked pipe in the woods than smoke a crack pipe in the woods :)
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,334
Humansville Missouri
Cool story bro…

I have Peterson pipes that were manufactured and bought new in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Don’t recall any poly finishes, even on the lowly Limericks. Where do you get your info from? A crystal ball?
The cold, hard school of experience.

A century or so ago, when all products had a degree of hand finishing, then Peterson pipes were gloriously finished.

This is an eighties Cadillac.

93615972-BBB4-4DB4-B5B2-357DE3DE449E.jpeg


The thrifty Cadillac Cimarron owner could buy three Petersons for the price of one to keep in the glove box.:)
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,334
Humansville Missouri
I found one of the three, in a box.

Here is a good example of a bad example of a late eighties Peterson blue light mail order special.

It is a pretty shape. And it’s not as bad a smoker as I remember it used to be. Maybe it’s cured out some through the bowl. The outside is some kind of bowling pin finish poly that is not ever, ever, ever going to come off.

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