Back when I first felt the hankerin to be a pipe smoker I did what most folks my age do - google it!
I can remember browsing a couple retail sites and it seemed to me a commonality was the presence of Peterson pipes. From reading retailers little blurbs about the brand I was convinced - seemed like a good place to start.
So! It seemed perfectly logical to pick a shape that stood out to me. A GREEN dublin church warden! Why not?!
Boring story short, it was not a good place to start. A couple weeks later it became an estate pipe at SP.
Clearly I needed more experience so I opted for more conservative shapes for a while.
Months later I had become more experienced and much more knowledgeable about shapes and brands and history (thanks in part to this forum and podcast).
I grew curious about these system pipes that Peterson invented. The P-Lip was another feature that sparked my wonder. So I threw caution and a couple hundred American dollars to the wind and bought a new Peterson System Deluxe.
It had VERY nice cross grain, bold and shiny sterling silver, and one of those P-Lip stems that promised no tongue bite!
To be sure, the pipe was gorgeous. A gorgeous learning experience for me indeed. I HATE the P-Lip. Hate it. Detest it. Doesn't work with my oral physiology. So again I made an estate deposit to SP.
By now I was really getting a handle on what I liked shape wise and size wise. Fast forward almost two years and I was really getting in to older pipes. Early 20th century briars were catching my eye and fulfilling my hunger for collecting old things. By chance one afternoon I glanced at the Irish Estates at SP. They had just posted some new additions. One of these was a smooth Straight Peterson billiard complete with a P-Lip from the 30s.
I talked myself into thinking I should give it another shot. Maybe that funny stem attached to a straight pipe would make it more agreeable to me. I really wanted to like it and keep it.
NOPE. See ya later alligator.
So now, a few years later, I haven't considered a Pete in years. I've learned my lesson.
Until last week anyway.
I couldn't believe it when I saw it. A Pete that ticks all the boxes. A small, light, cross grain, spigot bent billiard (shape 65) in the walnut finish. Most importantly, it had a fishtail stem. I felt that old familiar burning in my chest - I had to have it.
...today it arrived. I've been smoking it ('11 Best Brown) while writing this missive. I have to admit I'm impressed both by it's fit and finish, but also it's smoking quality. Comfy and light and not a single gurgle.
A Peterson keeper? I would have never thunk it.
I can remember browsing a couple retail sites and it seemed to me a commonality was the presence of Peterson pipes. From reading retailers little blurbs about the brand I was convinced - seemed like a good place to start.
So! It seemed perfectly logical to pick a shape that stood out to me. A GREEN dublin church warden! Why not?!
Boring story short, it was not a good place to start. A couple weeks later it became an estate pipe at SP.
Clearly I needed more experience so I opted for more conservative shapes for a while.
Months later I had become more experienced and much more knowledgeable about shapes and brands and history (thanks in part to this forum and podcast).
I grew curious about these system pipes that Peterson invented. The P-Lip was another feature that sparked my wonder. So I threw caution and a couple hundred American dollars to the wind and bought a new Peterson System Deluxe.
It had VERY nice cross grain, bold and shiny sterling silver, and one of those P-Lip stems that promised no tongue bite!
To be sure, the pipe was gorgeous. A gorgeous learning experience for me indeed. I HATE the P-Lip. Hate it. Detest it. Doesn't work with my oral physiology. So again I made an estate deposit to SP.
By now I was really getting a handle on what I liked shape wise and size wise. Fast forward almost two years and I was really getting in to older pipes. Early 20th century briars were catching my eye and fulfilling my hunger for collecting old things. By chance one afternoon I glanced at the Irish Estates at SP. They had just posted some new additions. One of these was a smooth Straight Peterson billiard complete with a P-Lip from the 30s.
I talked myself into thinking I should give it another shot. Maybe that funny stem attached to a straight pipe would make it more agreeable to me. I really wanted to like it and keep it.
NOPE. See ya later alligator.
So now, a few years later, I haven't considered a Pete in years. I've learned my lesson.
Until last week anyway.
I couldn't believe it when I saw it. A Pete that ticks all the boxes. A small, light, cross grain, spigot bent billiard (shape 65) in the walnut finish. Most importantly, it had a fishtail stem. I felt that old familiar burning in my chest - I had to have it.
...today it arrived. I've been smoking it ('11 Best Brown) while writing this missive. I have to admit I'm impressed both by it's fit and finish, but also it's smoking quality. Comfy and light and not a single gurgle.
A Peterson keeper? I would have never thunk it.
