Peterson 1949-73 Premier Selection 493 Smooth “Large Squat Cad” Bulldog 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.

The Premier Selection is by no means a common Pete to come across, and indeed this one is doubly so, owing to its shape. According to Mark Irwin and Gary Malmberg, the Premiers were a “high grade line of classic shapes” made for the US market during the mid- to late 20th century, but Irwin has noted elsewhere that these pipes appear more rare than another high-end line similarly dedicated for classic shapes during this time, the DeLuxe. The Premier was ultimately discontinued in 1981, while the DeLuxe remains in production today. This one, however, appears to have been made a little earlier, given the shape previously alluded to. It’s a Republic Era Pete, so dating will be sometime after 1949, but the 493 shape, known as the Large Squat Cad, fell out of Peterson catalogs after 1973 (again, per Irwin). True to its name, it is a rather wide shape, and is indeed far more low-slung than just about any Peterson bulldog shape currently in production (especially straight ones). The style is strongly in keeping with the “400 series” as a whole, which featured many a squat bulldog in its roster.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening, slight handling marks, and a small tooth indent on the stem.

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 1.00″ / 25.4mm

Weight: 1.3oz / 38g