The Dilemma of Classic Pipe Brands

[Chasing Embers]

I shall only buy artisan made pipes in future.

That's where I'm at now with commissions. I get to see the process in real time and get to communicate with the carver as the pipe is taking shape.

 

[anotherbob]

I think making a good pipe is the main thing they have to focus on. The rest is all secondary after that. I think the question is do their old pipes still cut it? Then good, do the new ones work are they good are they good looking? If yes then great.

 

[kcghost]

Remember Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap. So it is with new ideas.

 

[anotherbob]

Remember Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap. So it is with new ideas.

although that's in reference to how unfair it is to use the crap examples of sci fi against the greats of other genres. So maybe it doesn't apply to everything.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

It's like Bob Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival. If the changed product has some substance, and the brand is strong enough, people will get aboard, or new people will get aboard, and there is a way into the future. I don't find the Peterson bright green stems alluring, but I just ordered a Sav with a bright yellow/amber stem, so maybe bright green is just the wrong color for me.

As a quick aside, my late friend, Paul Nelson, was one of the only critics to defend Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Remember Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap. So it is with new ideas.

Never heard of Sturgeon but I have heard nothing new under the sun.

 

[OzPiper]

Growth is essential in business. Peterson’s is doing what all businesses do…sell product while remaining relevant to old and new pipers. For those that are “purists” you can still get those classics. For those that want new & interesting offerings, they have those too.

l also think that it is important for folks to express their opinions on anything pertaining to our thing. So, when a guy does that…it’s a good thing. And, when the replies and disagreements come…that’s good too. It’s all good! ?️

When people choose to buy a classic name they're generally not looking for novelty but rather a connection to a broader tradition, a standard, and an expectation of quality.

The problem for Peterson was that it's last management flushed quality control down the toilet. To be gentle about it, quality of Peterson pipes became rather "variable". Attempting to put a band aid on wounds caused by a grenade by offering up gimmicks wasn't going to cut it.

The history of the classic names is one of both tradition and innovation. Much of that innovation failed, like Dunhill's Vernon mount, some of it succeeded, like Barling's design for a thin bite zone. But what underlies all of this is a search to make a better quality product that can be sold at popular prices on a relatively large scale, especially compared to the one off production model of artisan pipe making.

Styles come and go. No manufacturer is producing all of their catalog shapes, and there is a deep bench of period design that would delight collectors interested in something different.

Sometimes innovation is renovation. The recent release of the Peterson 4AB is a good example of that, and a good example of a company hedging its risk by under producing the re-release. Hopefully they will demonstrate more faith in future.

^^^^. Can't put it better than that. ?
So I won't

 

[captpat]

I think Peterson has tried to do both, that is, make traditional pipes and adapt/grow. However along the way QC suffered in chasing both objectives. Eventually, people start to abandon the brand, it doesn't matter how cool it is if it doesn't smoke well. I'd suggest to Peterson that contracting the product line while at the same time improving quality might be a better approach. Focus on what the brand used to be known for, traditional shapes and silverwork. Reduce the number of "special" pipes offered in a year and restrict POTY offerings to periodically re-issuing a discontinued shape (like the 4AB) in small numbers, get rid of green stems and the like.