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Last Call!
THE MOTH DEMONSTRATOR
see end of post for ordering

Photo by Dan Chasin

PPN’s limited edition “eclipse”of Moth Demonstrators has almost flown. Thanks everyone for your patience. As she approaches her second retirement, Gigi’s work as a librarian has been intense, and she didn’t begin sending out invoices until this past Friday.

US Price: $15, which includes shipping. If you order more than one, Gigi will combine shipping for you.
Outside of the US Price: $20, which includes shipping. If you order more than one, Gigi will combine shipping.

DEMONSTRATOR MOTH ORDER FORM

One of the benefits of going to a pipe show are all the folk you meet and become better acquainted with. My friend Gary Hamilton you know, of course, from his many posts on the blog. At some point during the show, he and James Walsh connected and Gary agreed to make a condenser for one of James’s beautiful House Pipes. I don’t know anything about it except that Gary said it’s from the Early Republic era, which in and of itself makes it a remarkable piece as I don’t think I’ve ever seen one dating this far into the 20th century. But I’ll let Gary tell you about it.

CONDENSER WORK ON YOUR HOUSE PIPE
by Gary Hamilton CPG

Hi James,

Thought I’d give you a quick update on the condenser work on your House Pipe.

I was able to identify the existing threads in the stem’s tenon as being metric, a M9x0.75 configuration.  It turns out this is quite an anomaly in the metric thread system.  Typically for such a large thread diameter, being 9mm, the thread pitch would typically be 1.0 or 1.25mm – but in this case it turned out to be 0.75mm, which in looking at some of my old machinist and engineering books was classed as a fine, or extra fine thread, as based on the larger 9mm diameter.

As luck would have it, we have an old (established 1960) hardware store here in Kerrville, and they have always had tons of neat old hardware and tool items.  Their inventory was superb back some 25 years ago when I first moved here, and it still is great, but as times change so does the inventory. Anyway, I stopped in and asked about some metric taps and dies…Wow! Success, they had this obscure metric set…I was all smiles at the checkout counter.

So, here is where I’m at on your pipe work.

The threads in the stem’s tenon have been recut / reconditioned and I’ve tried to capture that in the photos attached.  (I’m not the greatest at photos)

Also shown in the photos is the start of the work on the condenser.  The threads are cut, and it makes up into the stem like butter, really smooth. I was surprised with the threads being really fine like they are. I measured the diameter of the draft hole at the base of the threads inside the tenon, and I come up with about 7.5mm, but I’m going to start with 5.5mm as the diameter of the draft hole through the condenser.  We can always open it up later if you think we need to, but I can’t make it smaller once it’s drilled larger.  I’ll say this is by far the biggest diameter condenser I’ve done to date.  The last one close to this size used an 8mm diameter thread, so your pipe stem fitting is larger by 1mm.  Anyway, for that 8mm condenser I did, I used the 5.5mm draft hole, and I was told everything was fine when  the pipe was smoked.  And like I mentioned, we can always open it up a bit later, if you think we need to.  I’ve never smoked a House Pipe of this stature, so I really have no “feel” for how the draw should be.  I’d recommend to start with the 5.5mm draft hole, see how that works and then take it from there.

The length of the condenser will be such that it is located about 1~2mm below the draft hole opening in the shank, just into the top of the reservoir when the stem is properly seated into the stummel.  This is as per CP’s patent design.

Anyway, the next step is to shape the outer dimensions of the condenser and get it all polished up.  I should have this done hopefully tomorrow.

Happy Smoaks,
Gary

Hey James,
The work is completed on the condenser for your House Pipe, and I really liked the way it turned out.  It’s massive!  But it matches the pipe very well.

I’ve attached a few more photos of what I did today in getting it finished.  The first few photos are getting the outer diameter shaped to a reasonable taper that pretty much matches the taper of the stem’s tenon.

Then I cut a nice chamfer (bevel) at the end of the condenser for the draft hole entrance to create a smooth airflow transition.  I’ve not seen Peterson do this on their condensers, as it requires another machining step.  I think this bevel does help to some small extent in the performance and functioning of the condenser.  I gave it a bit of a polish, and it’s ready to enjoy.  Give this a try for a while, and let me know what you think.  If we need to do any adjustment on the draft hole size of the condenser, easily done.

I don’t have your mailing address, so let me know that, and if you have any preferences on how you want me to send this back to you…you did want it back, right???  Haha, I couldn’t resist 😊

Happy Smoaks,
Gary

PS I’ve attached a dimensional data form that covers what I think to be the most pertinent aspects of your House Pipe. If I have some of the Era / Shape information incorrect, let me know and I’ll get the form corrected.  I think I’ve sleuthed it out to the best of my ability, but I seem to always miss a clue along the way.

Also, I forgot to mention this earlier – When I make condenser’s for Mark’s pipes I usually give them a “test smoke” with some old Captain Black Grape, or Middleton’s Cherry – and if the pipe smokes good with this stuff, then I figure it will be just a grand smoke for you with your most cherished Virginias!  Your pipe smoked just wonderful 😊!

Happy Smoaks,
Gary

Hi Gary,

The data form is wonderful, thank you! So given the MADE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND stamp and lack of hallmarks, this would place this pipe from 1948-1968. Given the overall appearance and just my gut feeling, I’d place this firmly in the 1950s. My strong feeling is that this would have originally had a bone chimney however, given what we know now about the threads, thanks to you, I am second guessing my feeling since I feel like cutting such a fine thread into bone would be difficult (maybe?). IF the chimney was originally aluminum, it certainly would have been a one-off, like nothing I’ve seen before and perhaps placing the pipe later in the date range. I don’t believe this to be one of the “standard” house pipe shapes of the earlier catalogs (O1, O2, O3) as it’s the same basic shape as the O2 but definitely smaller. Also, I don’t recall the SPECIAL stamp ever being applied to these earlier oversize pipes. Given the totality of the information, I would guess this was a 1950s handmade one-off.

Hi James,

We are in complete agreement on the ’48-’68 time frame for the exact reasons you have cited.  I also agree, earlier than later within that time frame – and 1950 sounds reasonable to me.

On the shape, I couldn’t find a reasonable “match” to the shape from the 1906 catalog.  In fact, I didn’t see a shape 03 at all (?).  However, when I went to the 1896 catalog, on page 29 there it is, the 03 shape (along with the 01 & 02).  And your pipe stummel fit it pretty much exactly.  All the other full size photo and drawings, from both catalogs, did not match up very well – the angle of the shank relative to the bowl was wrong.  However,  The 03 shape in the 1896 matched perfectly.  So that is the basis of my reasoning on the shape being an 03 or (or is it an O3?).

I do agree with you that this could most likely be a “special” (thus the stamping?) one-off hand made based on a customer’s request.  I’ve copied photos of the 1896 03 shape and your pipe stummel as an overlay on the catalog image – both pages are included in the single attachment, scroll down to see the second image of your pipe on the catalog image.

The chimney and its threading.  This is an interesting dilemma.  If the pipe is circa 1950, the chimney could have possibly been either bone or aluminum.  I think in that era, and especially earlier, bone was the “go to” material of choice for the chimney’s.  However, aluminum was coming into it’s own as a “new” wonder material following the end of WW2.  Is it possible that aluminum was requested for the chimney on this potential special order pipe?  The threading with the 0.75mm pitch is the quirk.  What I recall with the bone chimneys that I’ve seen is that the pitch seems larger, or more coarse.  Coarse threads are more durable and can withstand a bit of dirt and debris without fouling up the threading process without getting cross-threaded from some dirt or junk in the threads.  These 0.75mm pitch threads are dainty, and not very tolerant at all of any foreign matter at all.  That’s what had me really surprised that for such a large diameter thread (9mm) the pitch was so fine.  Part of this doesn’t make sense.  So, I’ll give you yet an alternative option.  Let’s assume that the pipe was made in 1950, and it was originally equipped with a bone condenser.  Somewhere along the way, the bone condenser was either broken or lost.  The pipe is taken to a pipe repairman to be fixed.  The repairman comes up with a plan for an aluminum chimney.  But the repairman doesn’t have the correct threading die to cut the same threads (used on the bone) onto the new aluminum chimney he is making – but he has access to something else, the M9x.75 threading tools.  If that’s the case the repairman did a good job, as everything was drilled perfectly for the new threads to be cut, which would also account for the larger diameter threading, when it really didn’t need to be that large based on the diameter of the draft hole (7.5mm) in the stem.  I think this is yet another case of we will never know exactly.  But it is fun to speculate and “what if” about it.

I thought that you would get a kick out of the Captain Black comment.  But no – I want you to be the first one to give this beauty a proper “first smoak” break in run.  Just let us all know how it smokes, I’ve got to believe it will be a magnificent smoke for you.

Happy Smoaks,

Gary

[Editor’s note. I agree with Gary, as I had an 03 for many years from the EIRE era. This is the elusive 03.]

Dan Chasin. In scrolling through the photos I took at the show, I discovered a slightly blurred photo I took in great haste of Dan Chasin’s table. His passion is primarily Laudisi and Late Dublin era pipes, and there were some real rarities here:

Some of the Pete Geeks attending the Chicago show had time to send me photos of what they brought home from the show. I offer them to entire you to think about attending either the Las Vegas show this fall or the Chicago show next spring!

Ken Sigel. 

Ken brought home three beauties: a Giacomo Penzo (which is I think my personal favorite of all I’ve seen from Giaco) and two System Naturals, the 9B and the 01B.  I missed out on the chance for an 01 Pachyderm as I wasn’t present during Glen’s first pipe showings Thursday night, but want you to see what an amazing pipe this is, the 01 shape seen for the very first time with the long “Pachyderm” stem! Well done, Peterson!

Martin Kollman.

I can’t remember the name of the vendor who makes the wonderful coffee mugs like the one you see in Martin’s photo, but he’s attended the last several shows and always has hordes surrounding his table. Martin will I hope tell us in the comments.  Also take a look at two of Larry Blackett’s pewter tampers–Larry and his wife you recall made the P-Lip tamper for PPN not too long ago.  Martin also has the CPCC 30th Anniversary commemorative tamper, which came in a super-cool box.  The ones on the far left and right Martin himself will have to telll you about.

…as you can see, Dan Butler’s work just gets better and better! I love the way the rustication follows the shank down into the bowl. The subtle contrast stain is also gorgeous.

Mike Austin.

Mike came away with some truly remarkable pieces. His unsmoked Mark Twain is from the 1981 first run, numbered in a sequence of 400, each in a cedar box (that birdseye is on both sides). He also found one of my favorite shapes, the SH Mycoft in a Supreme Natural and a Baskerville Junior! Mike’s been crazy busy this past week doing construction, moving, and all sorts of other things, so I want to thank him for taking time out to send us these photos.

Mark Irwin.

By the kindness of Glen Whelan, there was a 9B “Pachyderm” waiting for me to buy when I found my way to his room.   The bowl is a fresh take by Giacomo Penzo, being turned in house and attempting to return it to its earlier Chubby cheeks. This long stem, as I’ve written earlier, was seen in the Patent era (and you can see it in the 1906 catalog available from SPC) and then recreated in the late 1960s.

Lance Dahl, who has ever shown me amazing friendship, had picked up one of the two B42 Silver Caps Glen brought, and when he saw my long face, offered it to me.

Lance also offered me a substantial discount on one of the original “Originals,” the SH Calabash with saddle stem made in 1987 and 1988.  Lance: as we say in Texas, you’re both a gentleman and a scholar.

Lance Dahl. 

Here’s the loot Lance came away with–and yes, he had to hire a special UPS jet to fly it all back!

I suggest if you’re near a lap top or desk top computer to open it up and click on his photo. Here’s close-ups of a few of my favorites:

I’m hoping Lance will tell us what year this 03 Sterling Wind Cap is. I’m thinking these were last seen in the first half of the Dublin era, which would place this one at no later than 2000. When asked not long ago why Peterson doesn’t offer these anymore, someone at K&P said that the sterling mechanism is outsourced and they no longer have a supplier.

Of course there’s another fabulous Dan Butler. The pipe above it sports one of the amazing vulcanite genuine cumberland stems. These were last available in the mid to late 1990s, I believe. The Dublin House pipe has about the best blast I’ve seen on this pipe. Oh for a tapered P-Lip stem on this one!

James Walsh.

Last week James sent me a link to an eBay auction he’d just won for a remarkable piece of Peterson shop ephemera, a 21-pipe rotating counter display.

It dates from c. 1975-1980, when K&P’s advertising color group was black and gold. You can see other point-of-sale items in a page from the 1978-79 Peterson-Glass catalog:

Intellectual property
of Kapp & Peterson
reproduced by their gracioius permission.

Many thanks to all the Pete Geeks who contributed their time and photos
to this post!

US Price: $15, which includes shipping. If you order more than one, Gigi will combine shipping for you.
Outside of the US Price: $20, which includes shipping. If you order more than one, Gigi will combine shipping.

DEMONSTRATOR MOTH ORDER FORM

There are still a number of Demonstrator Moths reproductions flitting about the studio, and if you’d like one or more, this is your chance.  The tiny weights on the wingtips are magnets, by the way, so you can perch your Moth on the fridge or any other metal object. For more information on the history of these beautiful little fellows, see last week’s post.

PPN will return in two weeks…