Peterson 2012 St Patrick’s Day 68 Smooth Bent Billiard with Nickel (Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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.

From what I’ve seen, 2012 appears to have been a genuinely excellent year for Peterson’s St Patrick’s Day pipes. As is the norm, the shapes used predominantly came from Peterson’s Classic Range, though unlike most years, each St Patrick’s Day pipe wore a relatively light, smooth polished finish, showing off some of the best graining that any S Patrick’s Day release has exhibited to date. As with the two other pipes we’ve had from 2012 release over the last year, this “68” bent billiard rendition looks to have been turned from plateaux briar, rather than the ebauchon blocks Peterson uses for the majority of its lines, expressed in the form of a flame grain lapping around the bowl’s entirety.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original (slightly time-worn) bowl coating. Some minor finish fading.

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.56″ / 39.62mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g