Thinking about adding a Pete

[frennchy11]

Alright I know that Pete's have been debated on this site since the beginning of time, but I have been thinking about selling a couple pipes I don't smoke much to buy a decent Peterson. My question for you all is what should I look for? Was there something you didn't like that I should avoid or for the people who smoke Pete's, which series smokes the best?

 

[riskybusiness]

Look for flaws in the finish. Some of the pipes can have a lot of fills or sloppy stain & varnish.

 

[pylorns]

I, on the contrary, own a Peterson System Darwin (B42), and an Aran (X68)and find them to be wonderful smokes, I prefer the system and actually plan on getting a few more. The system is great for aromatics, and I actually like the p-lip.

 

[layinpipe]

I have 3 peterson's and only 1 i have an issue with. I have a flame grain straight 106 billiard and a kinsale smooth straight XL25 that both smoke fantastic and were definitely worth the money (bought both new for around 130 a piece). Kinsale is p-lip, of which i love and will purchase more of in the future, and flame grain is a fishtail and i have no complaints there either.
I problem pipe is actually the first briar i purchased after my MM, and that is a Peterson Shannon smooth bent dublin fishtail. This pipe smokes fine...until you get about 2/3 of the way done with the bowl. This is where the draft hole ends and a deep abyss follows, like junkyarddawg said, 3mm or so or maybe a little more to the bottom of the bowl. Been meaning to pipe mud or chimney mortar or whatever other methods there are to it, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Since i have enough of a built up collection, it's not an urgent need and when i do smoke it, like last night, i just sacrifice the last third or so to the tobacco gods.
All in all though, they are great pipes IMHO and both my other Peterson's besides the one with issues have fills, but i could care less bc they smoke great. I will definitely buy more in the future and will eventually fix the one with the draft hole problem, as it smokes great and i have no complaints other than that.

 

[voorhees]

I have two Pete's(Mid 80's Aran and Barrel) thankfully older pipes as it seems the newer ones can be suspect.

 

[frennchy11]

Thanks guys this helps a lot. I was actually thinking about going with the flame grain or a system. One other thing is would I be better off going with an estate? I heard that they used to be a better smoker than the ones now.

 

[layinpipe]

Sure thing frennchy11, my flame grain is one of my favorite go-to pipes. I couldn't recommend it more. A lot of factory pipes seem to be a crap shoot anyways, especially a mass producing company such as Peterson. I have heard their older pipes were made much better as well, but that along with most other topics in pipe smoking, is purely subjective and varies from person to person.
As for new or estate, I can't help you there, as I have bought all 3 new. I can say, just based on my experience, that i had no issues with the precarbonized (and some say pre-stained as well) bowls tasting foul for the first few bowls. Just make sure you have clear and detailed pictures, if buying online, before you pull the trigger, whether it is new or estate. Obviously if buying in person at a B&M, do a thorough inspection for basics like drilling, draft hole, fills etc.

 

[riskybusiness]

I think an estate pipe is a great way to go. If you buy on eBay, you get to see pictures of the actual pipe. That way you can see the finish, the nicks & dings and all that.
The problem with buying from an on-line shop is that you only see the catalog-photo on the web site, but it doesn't represent the pipe you get. Once you place your order they just ship you random box number #42 off the shelf and you get what you get. With current Peterson quality control issues, (i.e. the drilling is not right or the finish is wonky) this is a craps shoot.
You're better off:

A. getting an estate pipe from eBay that has great pictures or better yet,

B. visit your local pipe shop and inspect one with your own hands before laying down a few quid :D

 

[sorringowl]

Most of the Petes I have are estate pipes, some very old (but none Pre-Republic). If you're not into restoring pipes yourself, see if you can find an older Pete that's smoke ready, in good condition, as this may be cheaper than going with a new one. That being said, I have new ones as well and they smoke just fine--just the luck of the draw, I guess). If you're going to buy new though, best to go to a local B&M, and pick one out yourself, maybe with the help of another piper (or salesperson) you trust.

 

[aquilas]

Just got my first peterson a few weeks back, the 2014 St. Patrick's Day 264, the canadian shape.
I guess I got luck of the draw, too, since it's a perfect smoker. The only gripe I have with it is there's this sharp thing on the stem, I'm thinking like part of the finish on the stem got pulled out some how, created a point, and it dried out like that. Not too worried about it though.

 

[plateauguy]

I have several Petes. All have been good smokers, the only issue is a slow break-in on the Kapet.

Killarny Red 68

Irish Sea 69

Kildare 999

Rosslare 999

Kapet 03

Irish Second Prince
I'm definately partial to the 999 style. Here's a picture of my Rosslare - my wife gave it to me for my birthday.

 

[zanthipal]

I would avoid any ebay pipe in less it has stellar pictures. You need a really good photo of the inside of the bowl, and a really good photo of the inside of the shank, where many non system Petes have small condensation chamber. I currently own 8 Petes and they're all great. However, I have bought, and returned, 2 Pete pipes on ebay because they were not as described. Don't just bid on one because it has a low price unless you can clearly see what you're buying. If there is some blurry picture, pass on it.

 

[riskybusiness]

plateauguy -- sorry, not to put down the gift your wife gave you, but the finish on that pipe is what I was talking about. It appears to me like the stain was applied with a sponge at the front bottom of the bowl and they didn't wipe off the excess. Looking at the area under the 2 stripes there, it reminds me of that faux marble paint applied by pressing a sponge.
I was in the Peterson shop in Dublin earlier this year and looked at some of the pipes on the wall. The Aran pipes especially had this over-stained, sloppy look to the finish. You could tell they did not spend a lot of time on them. I ended up not buying anything. The blokes behind the counter couldn't have cared less either.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mine, the holes don't line up, so that if the stem is twisted to one side slightly, it just doesn't let air through the stem at all. But, I really like it. I say get one anyway. These nit picky pipe owners just expect too much of these pipes. Heck, what's a spot or two of bad paint? The bowl burns through? Hotspots? Slow down, you're probably smoking too fast. Holes don't line up, so what, it looks cool doesn't it? And, that's what matters, right? Looks? Besides, it's Irish. Maybe you'll get lucky. :wink:

 

[skapunk1]

I own quite a few Pete's, some system, some straight stem, some p-lip and some fishtail, 2 pre-republic.
My favorite is my green Aran 06 from 1997, with a Silver band. If you look on the Show off your Peterson page mine are first page, this pipe is pic #5 I believe.
Bought this off a gentleman here for $75....which was a steal, as it was never smoked in box.
The only recent "new" Pete I have is my Dracula 68. It smokes well, but nothing like the estates you can find.

 

[rmbittner]

I've got a system Peterson with a steck bit (sorry, but I refuse to say "P-lip") that smokes wonderfully. I bought it new in the mid-1990s, though, so I can't comment at all about current lines.
My personal opinion is that every pipe smoker should have at least one Peterson system/steck pipe in his/her collection, simply because it's a classic and, nowadays, totally unique combination.
Bob

 

[frennchy11]

Alright guys thanks a lot. I think I'm going to look for a deal on the bay for now. I'm heading out to CO to visit my parents in a couple weeks here so I'll check out Edwards to see if they have any good deals too.

 

[jah76]

I'm a big Peterson fan, but I've never bought a new one yet. I've got my eye on the Hopkins, but I havent pulled the trigger.
Sometimes some of their rustication on their cheaper lines looks mailed in, but I feel that way about some Savinellis too.
Mike at Briar Blues had a whole slew of Peterson estates.
On a side note, I don't like plips for VaPers.....just Englishes.

 

[thehappypiper]

I bought a small Cara about three years ago and the flu cracked on the third smoke. My pipe guy replaced it and the replacement has been fine, if unexceptional. I bought a Donegal 106 about four days ago and this seems well-made and smokes well, although I haven't had a chance to develop an opinion on the taste yet. My 106 is part of the Zippo set and the Zippo it came with was made in '08, so I assume the pipe is 6 years old too....and has been 'curing' in a relatively dry and warm dept store for much of this time, which can only be a good thing. The vulcantie stem did not fair well in this environment, with a light on it constantly in a display case and needs to be de-oxidised, but fortunately a lucite one from one of my Savs fits it well, so I'm using that. I really don't like vulcanite.

My advice is to wait until you can handle any Peterson before you buy it. There are too many bad Petes out there for me to feel confident ordering online, although smoking pipes did recently reply to my email, stating they personally inspect every pipe they sell and return those not up to snuff.

 

[carcosa]

I own 5 Pete's out of 8 pipes and would recommend the Sherlock Holmes or Kinsale series, or a St. Patricks day pipe which are out now.