Peterson Of Dublin Pipes

Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp, German immigrants to Ireland from Nuremberg, founded the famed Kapp Brothers store on Grafton Street, Dublin in 1865. Shortly thereafter, a Latvian immigrant, Charles Peterson, strolled into the Kapp workshop and declared that he could make better pipes than they could. Armed with an imaginative flair for pipes and a craftsman’s background, Peterson not only proved himself correct, but became the third partner in the fledgling firm.

Today, Peterson, run by Thomas Palmer, makes about 100,000 pipes annually, distributed all over the world.

Chesapeake Cigar & Tobacco Company has chosen to spotlight the Peterson Of Dublin line of pipes and tobaccos because of their extremely high quality and German / Irish heritage (Reverend Mike is 3/4 German and 1/4 Irish.)

Peterson System Pipes:

The original patent was issued in Great Britain and Ireland on Aug. 8, 1890 and the famous Peterson “System Pipe” or “‘Dry System” introduced a revolution in pipe smoking which brought pleasure to smokers worldwide. The “System” pipe smokes cool and dry to the last puff and has won for it’s creators many Gold Medal awards. “System Pipes” feature a small reservoir intended to collect moisture before it reaches the smoker, the “System Pipe” is designed to create a drier and cooler smoke and discourage the formation of Dottle. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture flows into the reservoir and, thus cannot reach the smoker’s mouth.

Dottle can be produced by different factors. The primary cause of an excessive amount of dottle is a tightly packed or otherwise improperly packed pipe, where the tobacco has been improperly prepared or is compressed and will not burn properly. A second possible cause can be the excessive moisture content of the tobacco and the tobacco being smoked too quickly. This can result in tobacco that is too wet to burn. Rapid or hard draws on the pipe can and will produce an excessively hot ember in the bowl causing the moisture content of the tobacco to vaporize and then condense in bottom of the bowl and in the draft hole, preventing the tobacco from burning properly. A third contributor to the creation of dottle is propylene glycol or “PG”. This innocuous preservative used primarily in aromatic tobaccos can keep the moisture content high in pipe tobaccos even after drying. Smoking the pipe too fast can also produce a foul tasting liquid that collects at the bottom of the bowl and in the draft hole resulting in “pipe gurgle”; this can be inadvertently tasted. Pushing a pipe cleaner down the stem can remedy this problem to a point. Another possible cause of pipe gurgle can be a “wet smoker”; that is, a pipe smoker that pushes some saliva down the stem and into the bowl. Excessive saliva can be a factor but is rarely the cause of a “wet smoke” or pipe gurgle.

In 1898 the Peterson Lip mouthpiece (P-Lip,) was added to the “System Pipes” as an option. Designed with a deep understanding of the pipeman’s needs, the Peterson Lip, adapts the pipe precisely to the contours of the lips and teeth. This unique mouthpiece designed to greatly enhance the smokers experience. The lip is shaped to fit the mouth more comfortably with the tongue pressed under the lip. The smoke exits above the lip, which significantly reduces tongue bite from even the most bitter smoking tobacco’s.

Generally when pipe smokers get together and discuss the system pipes they are divided as to whether they like or dislike them,in particular the P-Lip stem which has many detractors. The main criticism being that in directing the smoke to the top or roof of the mouth, this can become tender and sore after a while through the concentration of hot smoke.

There are fourteen System Pipe models to choose from, with a choice of highly high-gloss ebony, natural polished or rustic finish.

Peterson Deluxe System Pipes:

Each Peterson Deluxe is made from carefully selected, age mellowed root briar by master craftsmen. In golden brown finish which accentuates the beautiful grain together with hallmarked sterling silver mounts and a unique space fitting mouthpiece to allow for years of wear. available in selected shapes.

Peterson Premier System Pipes:

High quality briar wood pipes. Specially selected fine quality bowl mounted with a hallmarked sterling silver band and an army style mouthpiece. Available in smooth or sandblast finish. Premier Systems Pipes are available in the same shapes as Standard Systems Pipes.

Peterson House Pipes:

Another popular Peterson system pipe variant, is the huge House Pipe. The term house pipe, has come from the fact that they are just too big to carry around and too heavy to hold in one’s mouth. The pipes are so large that you’ll want to smoke them at home, settled into a comfortable chair for a very long session with a good book!

Less than 10% of the worlds Briar is of sufficient quality to make a Peterson House Pipe. The Briar block must be of sufficient size and have a flawless, tight grain pattern before it is passed to one of Petersons master craftsmen for shaping and finishing. Even then, the block can be rejected if shaping reveals any burrs or cosmetic deficiencies. Pipes of this size are rare as you never know what the briar is like under the bark until it is cut. It could contain burrs, knotts and even stones. The first cut determines the anticipated size of block. If you are aiming for large blocks there is likely to be more waste so very few manufacturers take the risk.

However Peterson dares to be different. They know a true pipe smoking connoisseur thrives for the full bodied, cool smoke that a large pipe delivers. A pipe of this size will take pride of place amongst any collection and will be cared for and cherished ready for that special occasion. They have a large bore and unless you have deep pockets you will not be able to afford to fill this pipe on a daily basis. They are best saved until you find that special tobacco blend that justifies an evening in front of the fire as a savoured treat.

Peterson Classic Range: