208. All About “Chimneys”: Hi-Grade System Tenon Engineering, Part 2
A little over a year ago I took a close look at the Standard System tenon extension, its purpose, function and changes made in its design over time. In that post, the wider tenons and reservoirs of the Patent, IFS and Eire eras were contrasted to the narrower versions that came along from the Early
207. Reverse, Restore, RePETE: A Cautionary DIY Tale
Welcome to another episode of This Old Pipe, where the restorationist gets a crazy idea, throws caution to the wind, measures once and cuts twice and then walks away with expletives, a few tears, a lesson learned and two pipes back in fighting trim. I had not intended to write up this experience so there
206. Something About the 02 and 02BB Oom Paul Shapes
The oom paul or hungarian is an unusual shape in the briar chart, never occupying center stage for most pipemen, but like many character actors, enriching the unfolding action and drama of our lives. Kapp & Peterson undoubtedly has the longest and richest relationship with the shape in the history of briar pipe-making, although it
205. K&P’s Gratis Pipe Tool: A Dating Guide
Back in 2018 Kris Parry at the Black Swan Shoppe sent me a Peterson-branded 3-in-1 pipe tool.* It turned out to be a generic but well-made instrument but got me thinking about the original Gratis Pipe Tools that accompanied System pipes from 1891 until 1963 or so. With a gift from my co-author Gary Malmberg
204. K&P on the London Stage, 1893: “Mary Ann Maginty (Smoking Song)”
Three years before K&P’s first catalog and three years after Charles Peterson’s first patent, the Peterson Patent Pipe made its debut on the London music hall stage in E. W. Rogers’s “Mary Ann McGinty (Smoking Song).” Edwin William Rogers (1863-1913) was a fairly prolific English songwriter for music hall performers at the end of the
203. “No. 9, No. 9, No. 9”: The Revolution of Peterson’s Bowl Shape 9 (and A Second Look at the POY 2020)
John Lennon was born on the 9th of October, 1940, just a little over eighty years ago this month. If you’re of a certain age, then “Revolution 9” from the Beatles’ White Album means something to you. If you’re not, then all I can say is that while I can’t confirm Lennon smoked a Peterson
