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 It’s always a delight to meet an artisan pipe maker who also holds a special place in his heart and rotation for Peterson. So it was wonderful when I was walking the Chicago show exhibition and came to the table of D. Butler Pipes and Dan Butler himself said something like “Hey aren’t you the old dude that does Peterson Pipe Notes?” I wasn’t sure if he’d actually said “old,” as I’d left my hearing aids in the hotel room.  My attention was immediately diverted to all the “sold” signs on his pipes and just as wonderful, his wife Maya’s very distinctive hand-knitted pipe socks underneath them!

When Dan told me he loved Petes and read PPN, well, I of course asked immediately if I could persuade him to do a “Pete Pilgrimage” post with me.

Mark: How did your own pilgrimage begin? What led you to Peterson pipes?

Dan:  I discovered pipe smoking just prior to my twenty-second birthday. I was going through a tough time in my life – I had just dropped out of university, moved back in with my parents, and taken a job working the overnight shift in a locked children’s mental facility to begin paying back the $40k I owed in student loans.

I was feeling lost and stressed and was in desperate need of some relaxation. Thankfully, that was when tobacco came into my life. My first smoke was a cigar, and it was a blessing; it brought me a sense of enjoyment and pleasure that I had been sorely lacking. Almost immediately, I fell in love with tobacco, and soon I began exploring and learning more.

Dr. Grabow “Omega”

I began searching online for cigars and, through the magic of the internet, I quickly discovered the world of pipe smoking. Curiosity drove me to order my first pipe (a Dr. Grabow “Omega”) and pipe tobacco (a tin of MacBaren’s “7 Seas Royal”).

I proceeded to purchase a few basket pipes… and then a few cobs… and then a Stanwell and a Nording. At that point, I was hooked. Then, I came across an article describing how the Peterson System worked. I found the explanation fascinating and felt compelled to try the System for myself. So I purchased my first Peterson – an old, dinged up 313 System Standard – and I was astounded at how well it smoked!

The more I learned about Peterson’s history and catalogue the more I fell in love with the pipes, and after I paid off my student loans, I began to collect them.

Mark: Can you put your finger on what it is that attracts you to K&P? Are there certain shapes or ranges you like in particular?

Dan: What I admire most about K&P has always been the System.  System pipes, and System Deluxes in particular, “sing” for me. They add depth and dimensions to my favorite blends that I find hard to achieve with many other pipes.

That said, I’m also a huge fan of Peterson’s classic, muscular aesthetic. I think that Peterson does “muscular” better than any other design house, especially when it comes to the shapes in the Sherlock Holmes collections.

As recently as a year ago, my collection included a wealth of 313 & 309 dutch billiards, 305 & XL315 calabashes, POTYs, and many pipes from the Sherlock Holmes series. I was particularly taken by System pipes sporting tapered “B” stems, but I also loved the deeply bent shapes from the Sherlock Holmes lines –  the Original, the Baskerville, the Lestrade, and the Watson.

My collection of Petes usually numbered somewhere in the 50s, although it fluctuated. However, I now only own 6. My collection shrank because last year, in a heart-wrenching decision, I parted with the vast majority of my pipes in order to purchase my first pipe making tools. The Petes that remain are my absolute favorites – a rusticated 2022 POTY 14B, my sandblasted Sherlock Holmes Original (which is the pipe I smoked on my wedding day, and which I smoke every year on our anniversary), and a beautiful old Kapet 02 oom paul gifted to me by my friend Bjorn from Sweden. Accompanying these three are three more recent additions – a 2024 PPN POTY 309, and two 2024 POTYs.

Mark: Do you have any white whales or holy grails in the Peterson catalog?

The 2B in the 1906 catalog, later aka 306 (2^nd Quality) and 356 (3^rd Quality)

Dan:  In all my years of collecting, one particular Pete always eluded me. It’s my “Grail Pete,” so to speak, and it’s a System shape 2/306 /356 with a “B” stem, from the early 1900s when the 2/306 shape was a hungarian.

The 356

There’s another, the Peterson 02B, which to my eyes is one of the most beautiful full-bent designs I’ve ever seen, and while I admire and enjoy my Kapet 02 from Bjorn, I would love to experience one with true System engineering.

A Killarney 02

Mark: What else occupies your time?

Dan: Presently, I work full-time doing commercial building maintenance for a local property management company. My dream, however, is to become a full-time pipemaker.

Between work and pipemaking, I have very little time available for other activities. What spare time I do have, I love to spend talking or going on walks with my wife Maya, whose love is the foremost blessing in my life. I also enjoy reading works by Rudolf Steiner, when I’m able.

 Mark: What’s the culture of pipe smoking like where you live?

I’d say that Omaha is generally neutral when it comes to all forms of smoking. Around here, there’s a prevailing “To each, his own” or “You mind your business, and I’ll mind mine” attitude which keeps things relatively peaceful and free.

I do most of my smoking while I’m out driving for work, and in my experience, folks in town react to the sight of a pipesmoker with either indifference or curiosity – they either ignore you completely, or they offer you a smile and ask a polite question. I’ve never had a negative interaction with a stranger due to my pipesmoking, but I have experienced a number of positive interactions (for example, more than once a stranger has stopped me, complimented my pipe, and shared with me fond memories of a family member who smoked a pipe in days gone by).

In all of Omaha, there are only two tobacconists who deal in pipes and pipe tobacco. One is downtown in the Old Market, but it’s distant from our home I rarely visit it. The other is nearby in the suburbs of west Omaha; it goes by “Ted’s Tobacco,” and it’s run by a kind and generous man named Jay. In my opinion, the small Omaha pipe scene only exists because of Jay. While his pipes and pipe tobacco sales turn little profit (at least compared to cigar sales, which are what keep the doors open), Jay nonetheless maintains a diverse inventory simply out of love for the hobby. Although his specialties are Italian pipes and old Dunhills, he keeps plenty of Petes on hand, and he even works together with a Laudisi rep to put on a yearly Peterson and Savinelli trunk show, which is a blast.

Mark: What sparked the desire to make pipes for yourself? How did that come about?

Dan: I wanted to carve for many years before I finally committed to it. For a long time, I attempted to scratch the itch by restoring old pipes, but the desire to create pipes of my own always lingered.

The main thing that held me back from carving was financial. It takes a significant investment to get into pipemaking, and hidden or overlooked expenses pop up incessantly once you start. A lathe, lathe chucks, lathe tool bits and tool bit holders, shaping wheels, sandpaper, dust collection, briar, ebonite, drill bits, saws, glue, wax, stains, buffing wheels and compounds, shop lighting, and more… it all adds up extremely quickly.

For me, that financial barrier began to fall when my wife gifted me a pre-drilled pipe kit for my 30^th birthday. I stared at that stummel for months, developing my plan for it, until one August day when I brought it outside and cut it down to size with chisels and whittling knives. Once my stummel was shaped, I simply couldn’t stand to slap on its pre-fit factory stem and call it a day… I needed ebonite and a lathe. That’s the point when I decided to sell my collection, buy the tools I needed to carve, and dive headfirst down the pipemaking rabbit hole.

Mark: As a pipemaker, do you notice  a correlation between the chamber size and overall size of the pipes you smoke and the ones you carve? I ask because this often seems to be the case—Cavicchi always makes 22-23mm chambers and big pipes because he’s a big guy; Dirk Heinemann, David Iafisco, Austin Quinlan smoke and make smaller pipes and, interestingly enough, are smaller guys.

Dan: That’s a somewhat tricky question to answer, because I smoke a healthy variety of pipes. I enjoy a wide, shallow John Bull just as much as I do a tall, narrow 309, or a palm-filling pipe like a Watson.

But it’s also true that for the majority of my smokes, I opt for pipes with a 19-20mm chamber diameter, a 1.50-1.75” chamber depth, and a stout chamber wall thickness… and that accurately describes most of the pipes I carve.

I think artisans tend to carve the types of pipes that they would smoke because that’s simply what feels “right” to them. At the same time, sometimes artisan pipes “run small,” because small designs give the carver more freedom; they make it easier to navigate around flaws, control grain orientation, and achieve a smooth finish.

Mark: How has your knowledge been accrued as a pipe maker?

Dan: While I’ve never been in the workshop with another carver, thanks to the internet, I’ve been fortunate to have many teachers, so much so that much of what I know about pipemaking I’ve learned from experienced carvers who have seen fit to post their hard-earned wisdom online. There are many such carvers, and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude, even though I’ve never spoken to them directly. For example, when I was first starting out, I learned a ton about fundamental engineering and pipecarving processes from online posts shared by Todd Bannard (aka “Sasquatch” on the forums) who makes pipes under the moniker BST or “Briar, Sweat, and Tears.” The wealth of information he’s posted helped me to avoid many basic mistakes and much wasted briar.

I also owe a debt of gratitude to the legendary George Dibos, a well-known restorer of high-grade pipes, who has an apprenticeship’s worth of pipemaking and pipe restoring information available on his YouTube channel High Grade Pipe Restoration and Repair. It’s a treasure I’d recommend to everyone in the Pete Geek community interested in DIYs. In the early days I watched almost every video on his channel, and there I learned more than I can tell you.

Some carvers have helped me enormously through one-on-one interactions. I was blessed with an early breakthrough when I was contacted by a kind and generous former pipemaker named Michael Addis. Michael shared many tips with me, and he was gracious enough to provide me with a video critique of one of my pipes. His criticism opened my eyes to key things regarding lines, proportions, and shaping which I was previously blind to; it was a massive milestone in my learning process.

Above all, the person who I’m most indebted to is Jeff Gracik. I first reached out to Jeff back in November, and in the time since he’s helped me immeasurably. Before talking with Jeff, I didn’t know how to shape a stummel (every time I approached the shaping wheel I was essentially winging it). Jeff taught me how to shape methodically, with intention. He’s also provided me with detailed and discerning criticism of my work, and he’s opened my eyes to a world of intricacies about which I was completely ignorant. It’s impossible for me to express in words how impactful his guidance has been.

Mark: What can you tell interested Pete Geeks about commissions, price ranges, and what types of shapes you’re interesting in making?

Dan: I encourage anyone who’s interested in a commission to first look at my previous work on Instagram, so that they can get a feel for my style and for the shapes I enjoy carving. After that, feel free to email me or send me a message so that we can begin a dialogue.

My primary criterion for deciding whether to undertake a commission is the question “Will I love making that?” This ensures the best result for all parties involved. I’ve found that if I love making a pipe, then the final product feels “alive” and the client tends to also love it—but if I’m bored or uninspired while making a pipe, then the result tends to feel dead or lackluster to both parties.

If you’ll allow me a brief detour – I think pipes carry “energetic imprints.”* We can all tell what kind of “energy” a carver imbued a pipe with… we can tell if a particular build excited the carver, or if it frustrated the carver, or if it bored the carver. We can tell if a pipe is a product of rote repetition, or whether it’s a product of creative inspiration and of love.

Some pipes (especially if they’re made by a master, like Tokutomi or Nanna Ivarsson) are products of true creative inspiration… they feel “alive.” Holding them in your hand, it’s as if they have a heartbeat, or a soul, or a constant flow of energy. I think this inspired, living quality is the reason that many people seek out artisan pipes. Conversely, some pipes feel “dead.” They may be perfectly executed on a technical level, but there’s no “life” in them, because the inspired creative element was hamstrung or absent during their creation.

My goal is to create pipes that feel more and more “alive,” which why I take the question seriously “Will I love making this?”

With all that said, there are a few additional things which I like people to know before beginning the commission process:

1) I won’t copy someone else’s design, although I may be open to making my own version of it.

2) I don’t have a sandblasting setup, so I’m not currently able to produce blasted pipes. I have, however, worked to develop a rustication style which is organic, and pleasant to hold like a sandblast.

3) Because briar is briar, and my stock is limited, I can’t guarantee a smooth pipe. I can try, but sometimes rustication (or partial rustication) is necessary.

4) My rusticated pipes currently start at $250, and smooths typically run from $350-425, depending on their final grade. My smooth grades are “Bronze,” “Silver,” then “Gold,” followed by my highest grade, “Vesica.” (Side note: The very first “Vesica” grade will be dropping soon on Instagram!)

Mark: Dan, I think I can see both Danish and Italian influences the pipes on on your Instagram page and what you brought to the show, although of course these may just be filtered through American artisan.

Dan: I’m happy to hear that some Italian influence comes through in my work, because I also love Castello. In fact, Castello was the other brand which I once collected, along with Peterson. Most of the pipes in my early catalogue were attempts to “play” with Castello shapes, especially the shape 10 (nosewarmer billiard), shape 11 (chubby author), and shape 65 (bent billiard).

That said, the more I’ve studied pipe making, the more my influences have varied and expanded. I now draw most of my inspiration from individual artisans, primarily Jeff Gracik, Chris Asteriou, Hiroyuki Tokutomi, Cornelius Manz, and Peter Heding. I hope that as I grow in skill, their influences will become more apparent in my designs.

Mark:  Any plans for showing your  work at other pipe shows in the coming year?

Dan: For sure! I’ll be at the Vegas show in October, Muletown in March, and Chicago again next May.

Mark: Thanks, Dan.

Dan: Absolutely!

Mark: To see more of Dan’s pipes, you can find him on Instagram, @dbutler_pipes, although he suggests also reaching out directly to him via email at dbutlerpipes@proton.me. A website is coming soon, and in a week or two do look for Dan’s interview with Brian Levine at the Pipes Magazine Radio Show Podcast.

* Yeah, it’s a real thing, something I’ve certainly experienced. With a little thought, you can probably identify these yourself. There’s a lot about it on the internet, some of it pseudo-science, some grasping, and some quite real. But it’s a fascinating concept. Even with pipes, this is so apparent—I had a problem with a morta pipe by an artisan a few years back and he was quite unwilling to assume responsibility for the split. I sent the pipe back to him for him to see. “Oh,” he said, “the stem is split.” Well, yes, that’s what I told him.  So he remade the pipe for me, but it had to be in briar. It’s a good-looking pipe, but honestly, the energy imprint makes me think I’ll have to send it off to someone else. After having it exorcised! LOL.

Chicago Show Appendix

One of the highlights of the show for me was at our Pete Geek Meet, when Gary Hamilton presented a quartet of his custom handmade tampers to Glen Whelan. It’s just so rare that the industry and the hobby side of our Peterson world get together in a social context, and the fact that it was K&P’s 160^th Anniversary and that Glen had recently celebrated his own natal anniversary (40, I think) made it even more special. Gary presented this set on behalf of all the Pete Geeks, and on our behalf I want to extend thanks to Gary for this act of generosity!

Ken Sigel’s Pipes Photographed for the 1906 Catalog

Ken Sigel
Location: Mystic, Connecticut
Interest/Collecting Peterson Since: 2014
Occupation: Happily Retired

In preparation for the recent launch of the 1906 catalog reproduction Ken Sigel, resident CPG, photographed a number of his early Petes for research and examination. What we see below are some amazing pieces that are of great interest, in particular, to the Pete Geek community. This selection is primarily comprised of shapes that aren’t seen often in the collecting sphere.

Ken writes, “It was a trip to Ireland in 2014 that I began my interest (addiction) in Peterson and pipes took. I happened on the Grafton Street store. I bought a Watson Natural. Back home, I started to collect the Sherlock Holmes series (been a fan since boyhood). When I couldn’t find a smooth Baskerville, SPC sent me to eBay. That and a copy of The Peterson Pipe Book got me hooked on Peterson history and early Petersons. I enjoy bringing back to life older pipes, maybe even as much as smoking. No matter how much research I do, I keep finding anomalies like the WBC band or the N over L shank stamp. Smoking, collecting, refurbishing, and research–all in a great community of Pete Geeks.”

Kapp Bros

Kapp Bros pipes are quite the find, seldom seen on the estate market. These pipes were carved nearly a century and a half ago and to find one in the wild these days is just shy of a minor miracle. Important to Peterson collectors as this is where it all started. Surprisingly, at the time of writing, there is one similar listed on eBay (Hand Carved Kapp Bros). The dragon claw holding an egg seems to have been in vogue as similar designs are seen from other carvers of the period.

Large System Shapes

1A

Early large size pipes are tough to come by as it seems that most smokers in the Patent and IFS eras preferred smaller pipes as evidenced by the greater availability of smaller pipes on the estate market. Whether that was due to smoking preference or budget availability, it’s tough to say. Here we see a couple examples of the 1A, the big brother to the well known and revered shape 4. The proportion of shank to bowl in this rendition of the bent Dutch is quite pleasing to the eye.

14A with Horn Stem

Most Pete Geeks are well acquainted with shape 14. Most notably rendered as the Mark Twain commemorative and more recently as the Pipe of The Year 2022, 14B. Above is an exceptional example of the 14A. What sets this particular piece apart is the stem made of horn! The stem is so beautifully executed with its ultra crisp shoulder and P-lip. It seems that K&P has been placing the occasional horn P-Lip on system pipes for most of its history with examples documented into the late Republic era. It’s always a treat to get a look at one of these stems.

15A

15AB

The shape 15 falls into what Peterson calls the “Ball or Round-Shaped Bowls” category. These days, finding a true ball shape Peterson as an estate is tough. The estate market is rife with examples of the 302 and 303; however, these are more commonly thought of as bent apples. Perhaps the Sherlock Lestrade fits the bill? The much more relaxed shank angle on the 15 really adds a touch of elegance and flow to the shape and the low cheeking is also quite nice. The closest current production model is the B42. Could the shape 15 have possibly been used as inspiration for the original Darwin release? To my eyes, they are quite similar.

Medium System Shapes

6s

Much like many of the other Patent shapes, the full bent was seen in a number of scaled versions in varying degrees of shank angle. The shape 6s seen here could be the little brother to the more commonly seen shape 2. Upon closer examination, the bend is ever so slightly steeper than the shape 2 and rendered in this smaller version it packs a big visual punch. Ken’s piece is adorned with a “W·P” stamp on the sterling silver band, perhaps a retailer’s monogram. In all of my collecting years, I can’t say that I’ve ever come across a shape 6.

18B

The 18B seen here belongs to the same shape group as the shape 15 seen above. Presented with the B stem it really evokes the design language of the Darwin Deluxe in its later brandy iteration.

Non-System Shapes

Opera with orific button

Opera with P-Lip

The opera shape is an interesting one. Noted in the catalog as an “Oval,” it was originally constructed in order to slip into a vest or jacket pocket without creating an unsightly bulge in a gentleman’s attire while spending an evening at the opera. In addition to the straight version seen here, K&P also offered a bent version. Note how the slight bowl height difference, maybe just a quarter inch, changes how the pipe is presented. I’ve heard from a couple of CPGs that these are great smokers. Yet another seldom seen shape on the estate market, they always seem to be snapped up quickly when they become available.

Pat OB Short

The Pat OB short seen here in its original version is the inspiration for one of the two pipes in the Peterson 2013 Antique Collection. I wonder how many original surviving pieces remain in the world. My guess is that a collector is much more likely to run across the 2013 version; however, these too are not easily found. It’s a small pipe full of visual appeal, especially for those that appreciate a good nose warmer.

Shapes not Shown in the 1906 Catalog

Short Apple (cased)

Speaking of a good nose warmer, this short and very stout apple is a sight to behold! Not only is the stummel nice and chubby, get a good look at how the amber P-Lip is cut. I’ve got to imagine that this was quite difficult to achieve as there is very little length on the stem to create the transition from the round shank to the sharp lines of the P-Lip. Whoever the carver, I say they nailed it. And the cherry on top? It absolutely has to be the blue velvet lining of the case. Almost always seen in various shades of red or tan but hardly ever blue. Just beautiful!

K&P Irish Made

This full bent Irish Made is an early example of a Seconds grade with an orific button, more commonly seen as “Dummies,” “Dummy”, or “Reject” with this thin nickel band and lack of face mount. The 1906 catalog shows only two diamond shank bent pipes, the 180 and 181, neither of which is this shape. This shape looks like a 14A that traded its round shank for a nice crisp diamond shank. Although not adorned with fancy silver or an elegantly shaped cap, the shaping on this is very appealing. With the recent relaunch of the Irish Made line, it’s interesting to see how the line has risen through the ranks over the years, fitted with full nickel and even silver shank caps.

If you already have, or when you get your hands on a copy of the 1906 catalog, I encourage you to find the pipes pictured here and take a look at the multiple configurations of stem and mounting. It’s amazing to see the vast number of pipes offered and the degree of customization that was offered long ago.

A huge thank you to Ken for all of his work and time devoted to documenting and companioning such fine pieces of Peterson history!

The Historic 1906 Catalog
Now available from Smokingpipes.com!
“Get yours while supplies last–
order before midnight so you don’t forget!”