Basically sticking wisely to what the business had historically been famous for, good quality, value for money, popular, classic shaped pipes. 1987 saw the introduction and Issue of the first Sherlock Holmes ‘Original’ Series of pipes. The Sherlock Holmes series is probably the most successful series of pipes ever introduced by Peterson in terms of numbers. It was first issued to honour Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous fictitious detective character, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is perhaps the most famous pipe smoking character in fiction.
On the right side it is stamped Made in the Republic of Ireland and the shape number 11S. The silver band is stamped Peterson’s over Dublin on the left side. On the underside it bears the three hallmarks, the last of which is a lower case “d” which dates the pipe as having been made in 1971 as opposed to the date of 1973 Mark noted above. A first pass over the pipe showed that the finish was in quite good shape. I was dirty and a thin coat of grime and oily dirt had dulled the finish of the bowl. There were no serious dents or scratches on the bowl or rim (Photos 1 – 2).
I have included the entire Hallmark chart for ease of reference show any of you be looking to date the pipes that you are working on at present. From handmade pieces to vintage treasures ready to be loved again, Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. It’s also home to a whole host of one-of-a-kind items made with love and extraordinary care. While many of the items on Etsy are handmade, you’ll also find craft supplies, digital items, and more. Browse GQ Tobaccos’ range of peterson pipes below and get in touch if you have any questions about any of our products. These are amongst the most attractive and collectable pipes in the Peterson range of pipe issues.
The Darwin, of course, is a truly outstanding pipe, its only “flaw” being that it’s not a clencher. One particular aspect of this pipe that appeals to me most is its physical beauty and presence. For me, they also offer a bowl capacity that I like and a balance in the hand that I appreciate.
The System Pipe is still a consistent top seller for Peterson. The Peterson System is still the most popular line Peterson produce, along with the P-Lip mouthpiece. Each briar pipe is made in the Dublin factory by skilled craftsmen and enjoyed the world over.
When considered in combination, Peterson’s series of patents are remarkably intuitive. Unlike novelty pipes of the time, and even those appearing many years later, Peterson’s System involved zero fancy gadgets and superfluous materials. It’s a simple design that relies on physics and a pipesmoker’s natural habits. In The Peterson Pipe, Mark Irwin states, “No doubt the Peterson System did survive for all these decades because the design worked as advertised.” And that’s it.
Many lifetime Peterson enthusiasts swear by it; others spend hours on the forums advocating its abolishment. Mark Irwin suggests that this divisiveness among modern pipesmokers is a product of a misunderstanding of its history, function, and overall purpose. I heated the top and underside of the stem with a Bic lighter.
This extension on the earlier pipes will be of brass and the newer pipes will be of aluminium. Most smokers not knowing this function of the metal extension, assumes that it is a condenser/stinger and will remove it as they do with the metal condensers of Kaywoodie, etc. Should you have a System pipe with this metal extension, do not remove it for it will make the System function properly and give you a dryer smoke. With the work on the bowl finished to this point, I gave the silver band a quick polish with the jeweler’s cloth and rubbed down the bowl with some Conservator’s Wax and hand buffed it.