Peterson 2017 Pipe of the Year Smooth Belge 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.

Since 1997, Peterson has released a limited-edition “Pipe of the Year.” Sometimes these pipes are special versions of standard Peterson shapes, but other times, they’re re-releases of shapes that haven’t been in production for years, or even decades. For the 2017 release, Peterson went with the latter option, offering the opportunity for smokers to get their hands on a Peterson shape that was first sold by Peterson in 1906 but, as far as I’ve been able to discern, disappeared entirely not long after. In 2017, it finally returned, only to disappear again afterwards. With its short stature and plump, canted bowl, one might refer to it as a Devil Anse, or a Belge, though, in its earliest iteration, Peterson referred to it instead as a “Jap.” I must confess, I’m not entirely sure what the latter term meant or how it came about. By the time of the re-release, however, it was, to quote Walter Sobchak, “not the preferred nomenclature.” The shape itself was, on the other hand, very popular, which has remained the case ever since. This is more easily understood, especially as it is one of the most unique and historically interesting Pipe of the Year designs created thus far.

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

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.52″ / 38.60mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g