Peterson Kapet 220 Smooth Bent Billiard 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.

Debuting around 1925, Peterson’s Kapet has a good deal of history behind it, though has had a habit of disappearing and reappearing, and doing so in rather different guises. It has been described, such as by Peterson historian Mark Irwin, as “entry level” pipe as far as grade goes, though the various historical iterations of the Kapet, along with the various finishes and accoutrements that accompanied them, are worth pointing out. Very early Kapets, for example, wore a smooth plum finish and were touted as being made from especially old briar; more recently, they were reissued in a tree bark rustication, though those too are, seemingly, no longer in production. As with another recent Kapet listing on our shop, this Kapet is a little different to either, however. Instead of the early plum finish, or the most recent rusticated finish, it wears a warm, brown stain that is somewhat more distinguished than either. While it’s still very much a modest, reserved affair, the finish on this 220 Kapet is not completely shy about its natural grain patterns, and features a healthy dose of bird’s-eye around its bowl. In other words, it’s a “Republic era” Pete, but not of the Republic we know today. Furthermore, w/hile there is an “X220″ in Peterson’s current shape chart

, there is no “220.” The two are similar, though the X220 typically features a saddle stem, whereas the 220 featured a tapered, slightly swan-neck stem which, one might argue, fit the muscular aesthetic of the bowl more appropriately (though, as with many things pipe-related, there is an element of personal preference to such a judgement). I’m not sure precisely when the 220 fell out of the catalog, but I don’t recall the last time I saw a new one.

The condition is very good. A couple of very small scratches on the bowl.

Details:

Length: 6.4″ / 162.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.40″ / 35.56mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g