167. An Interview with Peterson’s Silversmith Jason Hinch
One of my favorite parts of the Peterson book are the many interviews with present and retired craftsmen, because when you smoke a Peterson pipe, you’re smoking a pipe crafted by a team of artisans whose training goes unbroken back to Charles Peterson himself. Jason Hinch (above left) and David Blake (above right) are the present and most recent (now retired) lead silversmiths at Peterson, and it was my great fortune last summer to be given time from Jason’s busy schedule not only for an interview, but a demonstration of the most demanding work he and Simon Ellard, Peterson’s second silversmith, do—silver caps. What were you doing before you came to Peterson? Before I worked here I was at a training center down in Dun Laoghaire, which takes young guys that are out of of school and puts them in a workshop making things with wood and metal, learning a bit of carpentry and a bit of welding. Peterson gets a lot of trainees from that center. What were you first days like at Peterson? The first thing I remember was the realization that I didn’t know so many people still smoked pipes. Second, I didn’t grow up in Sallynoggin but not far from here, and I never knew this place was here. So I was amazed—that so many people smoke pipes and the fact that this factory was here so near to where I grew up. I enjoyed it when I first started—the learning part of it, because I was constantly learning something new every day, and I was part of it. There was the great satisfaction of seeing something well done. I spent the first day in papering [sanding] area until David Blake was ready for me in the mounting area, and I’ve been there ever since. I’ve done a few bits and bobs in other areas of the factory if I’m not busy in mounting. Everyone here is trained to do one or two other things beside their main job. Are you the only one who does silverwork? No, Simon Ellard does silverwork, too. He’s as good as I am. I don’t think we’d be able to cope if we just had one silversmith; there’s just too much work going through. There’s always been two craftsmen working in mounting. Before it was me and Simon, it was Dave [Blake] and I, and before I started Dave had a guy named Gavin who was an apprentice. When he left they took me on. There’s always a main guy and a second. If we’re not too busy, Simon ventures out a bit as he’s good with his hands. But his main job’s silver mounting. Would you describe the types of metal mounting Peterson silversmiths do? For the nickel mounts, we buy in and don’t have to do much to those. We just polish them up and put a close on the end if there’s a gap in one. Whereas with the silver, we do it ourselves. We spin it…