Peterson 2010 St Patrick’s Day B31 Smooth Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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.

It is only natural that the great Irish pipe company Peterson should honor Ireland’s patron saint, which they have done each year since 1998. These St Patrick’s Day pipes are always a limited edition make and each is distinct from the last. They are, as a consequence, collectors’ items, as well as great smokers. The 2010 release was distinguished by its warm, chestnut finish, black vulcanite mouthpiece, and specially engraved nickel collar, seen here. But this pipe is a little different to the norm, even compared to other pipes in the 2010 Peterson St Patrick’s Day offering. Peterson historian Mark Irwin, for example, notes that a number of St Patrick’s Day releases have included at least one “special shape” not typically found on Peterson’s standard shape chart, such as the A3 (from the Antique Collection) found among the 2000 release, or the XL90 in 2001. For 2010, Irwin considered the B2 to be the “special” inclusion among Peterson’s St Patrick’s Day pipes, though I can’t help but feel as though the B31, also among the 2010 shapes, is an even rarer bird. The shape originated in Peterson’s 2007, limited edition River Collection, which featured novel, non-catalog shapes that each represented a landmark river in Ireland. The B31, or the “Boyne” as it was known in the River Collection, is a shape that has seldom been seen since its debut, with the 2010 St Patrick’s and a a small run of European market lines being minor exceptions. Thus, here we see it once more, in its saddle configuration, and it is a sight to behold—one that I doubt we will be seeing again for a good, long time.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.78″ / 45.21mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g