Captain Peterson (circa 1950) N76 Smooth Canadian Estate Briar Pipe, Irish Estates

Description

Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp & Peterson (K&P). During this time, Peterson himself applied for several patents for pipe designs, including the world-famous Peterson’s System. Since then, Peterson has become one of the most recognizable names in pipe smoking and continues to produce high quality pipes from their headquarters in Dublin.

As the always-helpful Mark Irwin over at Peterson Pipe Notes recounts, the “Captain Peterson” can be found in advertisements from as early as the late 1930s, as a sub-brand for the famed Irish make. Not to be confused with the Captain Pete, the Captain Peterson was marketed as a genuine precedent, being the most affordable Peterson product in a natural smooth finish that had yet existed (being around 2/3rds of the price of a comparable model from Peterson’s main brand). But that wasn’t the only unusual thing about these pipes. Irwin’s archives show that the Captain Peterson pipes had a unique stem, one entirely distinct from the P-lip. Instead, these stems featured thick buttons and partially hollowed out slots that would, according to Peterson, ensure dry smokes. This was referred to as the “Bevel Lip.”
Precisely when this particular Captain Peterson was manufactured is difficult to say. As it’s an English-made Peterson, it won’t have been produced after the 1960s, since Peterson’s London factory closed during that decade. Leverette’s guide to dating Peterson pipes hypothesizes that the straight, block-letter “MADE IN ENGLAND” stamp was used during the late 1940s, as this was the same time that the straight, block-letter “MADE IN IRELAND” stamp was in use. If this is correct, the pipe will have been made prior to 1950.

The condition is good for the pipe’s age. Some inner rim charring and a few small, natural imperfections in the briar (it is a sub-brand, after all), but the pipe has nonetheless held up quite remarkably.

 

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.75“ / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.38″ / 35.05mm

Weight: 0.7oz / 22g