What Does “System” Pipe Mean?

[PiperCalvinist]

Title Edited for brevity, and no one needs pardoning for a straight up question! The part deleted:
"Pardon My Ignorance But"

Not sure I understand what is meant by the term “system pipe”?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Not sure I understand what is meant by the term “system pipe”?

The Peterson System Pipe | Smokingpipes.com

Everything you need to know about Peterson's patented System Pipe.

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[OverMountain]

I’ve got a system 313 and it’s become my favorite, even over my well traveled Grabows …

 

[PA Piper Mike]

Has a chamber to collect moisture.

 

['olbuzzsaw]

I plan on my next pipe purchase being the Peterson System 2s. Do you guys know if there is any difference in performance between models as far as moisture? That bent apple shape does it for me.

 

[woodsroad]

I find that moisture still stays in the stem and doesn’t drip down. It just keeps getting sucked up. Maybe it’s just me, but the “system” cavity just complicates cleaning.

 

[PiperCalvinist]

Has a chamber to collect moisture.

View attachment 302912

Oh, I see. Interesting. Thank you very much! Illustration and all!

 

[PiperCalvinist]

I find that moisture still stays in the stem and doesn’t drip down. It just keeps getting sucked up. Maybe it’s just me, but the “system” cavity just complicates cleaning.

That was going to be my next question. How do you clean it? That shape would seem to be difficult with just a pipe cleaner.

 

[PiperCalvinist]

The Peterson System Pipe | Smokingpipes.com

Everything you need to know about Peterson's patented System Pipe.

www.smokingpipes.com

Thank you very much! I guess I didn’t know that it was exclusively a Peterson thing.

 

[AcesAndEights]

I find that moisture still stays in the stem and doesn’t drip down. It just keeps getting sucked up. Maybe it’s just me, but the “system” cavity just complicates cleaning.

My thoughts exactly. When I first got curious about what a system pipe was, my very first reaction was “I ain’t cleaning that”.

 

[AJL67]

I find that moisture still stays in the stem and doesn’t drip down. It just keeps getting sucked up. Maybe it’s just me, but the “system” cavity just complicates cleaning.

From now on you shall be known as Hoover. And not the cool over from Animal House, Hoover like the vacuum that really sucks.

Never owned a system pipe, always seemed gross that the "moisture" would just collect in the pipe.

 

[burleybreath]

I'm not a great fan of system Petes, but I do like my Mark Twain and one other. The cleaning, which is a bit of a ritual, is not really a big deal. Read the SP article posted above. I've never had the reservoir backflow, unless I'm doing somersaults or standing on my head while clenching the pipe.

What gets me about "the system" is, you take two bent Petes, one a system pipe and the other a "regular." The system pipe collects condensation or whatever it is, but the regular one smokes normally, assuming you're not a drooler. I don't drool, but there's always a vile liquid in the reservoir after the bowl is done. Where does the moisture go in the regular pipe? In other words, why bother?

One other:

 

[pipedreamin]

I find that moisture still stays in the stem and doesn’t drip down. It just keeps getting sucked up. Maybe it’s just me, but the “system” cavity just complicates cleaning.

While I love my system pipes, pretty much this! ETA: I've pulled the stingers in each and drilled for 9mm filter, I've never actually sucked up from the well, it certainly won't happen now.

 

[churchlady]

Did any other pipe makers use an extra chamber for dealing with moisture? Is this something you might run into with estate pipes, or it just with Petersons?

 

[woodsroad]

Did any other pipe makers use an extra chamber for dealing with moisture? Is this something you might run into with estate pipes, or it just with Petersons?

I have an odd looking pipe that has a drip sump, but I’ve never smoked it. I’ll post a pic later.

 

[badbriar]

System pipes are actually quite easy to clean. And no, one does not draw moisture from the reservoir at all. I find just the opposite - a very dry and free flowing smoke.
It's obvious that I prefer the Pete system pipes, which I own several of. These well made pipes are in my regular rotation.

 

[Searock Fan]

After this I intend to go hide in a cave for a couple of years so the Peterson fanatic can't find me with their torches and pitchforks....

"system", in this case, is a euphemism for "bull shit". Any pipe that smokes so wet that it needs a "well" to catch all the juice has serious problems. It's just a selling gimmick. And if it's the tobacco, then dry it out fool!

 

[kcghost]

Well, that a codger for you, LOL. I am in the same camp in terms of how I view these things. There are many devices for this function beside the Peterson one. There's Brigham, there's Kaywoodie, the Dr. Grabow, all kinds of pipes with stingers and filters in them. etc. While I think there unnecessary, a lot of people would disagree. Smoke what you like and let the other fellow smoke what he wants. Anything that gets more people into pipes is a good thing.

 

[anotherbob]

That was going to be my next question. How do you clean it? That shape would seem to be difficult with just a pipe cleaner.

not hard at all. Just an extra step. The well cleans easily. The one thing that's really different is that for best results after cleaning you leave the stem out of the pipe (why it has the band or spigots so that temp fluctuations don't matter) and only put it in when smoking. But not hard to clean at all.

 

[woodsroad]

Here’s the non-Peterson “system” pipe that I mentioned: