373. SPECIAL BULLETIN: Santy’s Christmas Petes On the Way—Iora Classic Range P-Lip, DeLuxe Ebony System, Plateau Revival
I’m sure several PGs noticed the drop of the beautiful P-Lip Classic Range Ioras from Smokingpipes Europe early Monday. Robert Terry, CPG, wrote and asked if there was going to be a US drop, lighting a fire under me to find out. As it turns out, not only will there be Iora Class Range P-Lips, but two other spectacular releases-- Iora P-Lip Classic Range 11/30/2023 @ 3:30pm EST: IORA P-LIP CLASSIC RANGE DROP Per Andy Wike at Laudisi: “We’ll be putting the Ioras up tomorrow (around 3:30pm). It looks like we have a little over 100 of them spread across a good amount of shapes.” Shape 53 Shape 150 Shape 268 Notice not only the infinite variety of the incredible Iora contrast stain (which I’m totally nuts about), but the P-Lip and the throwback twin-bead sterling bands on the shapes seen above. I haven’t seen these bands from K&P since about 2015 or so. They used to grace both Classic Range and System Range pipes but haven’t been seen for awhile. I’m hoping we may see more of them to go along with the classic elegance of the “long dress” sterling bands that Laudisi Peterson originated a few years ago. 12/11/2023 @ 3:30pm EST: 125th ANNIVERSARY DELUXE SYSTEM EBONY This is the final installment of the trilogy of 125th Anniversary celebration pipes and is the very first time the DeLuxe System has appeared in Ebony. I'm a recent convert to Ebony pipes, as you know if you've read recent posts, and am very much hoping a B42 or 9 doesn't impale my heart with its siren call. My Peterson Pipe Addiction Syndrom (PPAD) is beginning to cause alarm in my family and friends. 12/13/2023 @3:30pm EST: PLATEAU REVIVAL A Plateau Natural from 2009, the last P-Lip vulcanite release. Note exposed "plateau" edges at both rim and mortise of this amazing army mount. While I’m really excited by the Ebony DeLuxe and can’t wait to see the Iora Classic Range P-Lips, I have to admit my blood pressure is rising just thinking about the Plateau Revival. If you don’t know about the Plateau line, drop to the bottom of Post #263, where you can watch Peterson’s own Paddy Larrigan not only make one from button to bowl and back again in front of your eyes, but narrate the entire process. You can also see it and read a bit about it in The Peterson Pipe, a brilliant Christmas present for everyone you know, regardless of whether they smoke a pipe or not! The Plateau pipes are nearly always House Pipe in size and traditionally sport chamber widths of 22-24 mm and depths of anywhere from 48-58 mm, making them fantastic for English and Balkan lovers and (I’m guessing) quite good for aromatic smokers as well. They're also K&P's only freehand line. You'll never see the same size and shape in a Plateau. Paddy Larrigan's idea was simplicity itself: with a large block of ebauchon, follow the…