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A GRAND JULY 4TH TO YOU LATER THIS WEEK!

It’s a delight to welcome back Nate Lynn CPG, who has I do believe visited the Peterson factory more than any living Pete Geek. It’s been a minute since we last heard from him, so you may want to begin at the beginning, not more than a year or so after he took up his first Peterson and was already crafting his own acrylic P-Lip stems (PPN#406).  That passion went deeper in his Irish Pete-and-Repeat Odyssey (PPN#433), then when he finally landed back home for a few weeks he turned first to creating some amazing Pete-specific pipe racks (PPN#446), then to constructing a full-fledged smoking lounge (see below) and, if that weren’t enough, to widening his scope with a boutique cigar brand all his own–Revere Cigars!

Hello to all of my Fellow Pete Geeks!

IN CASE YOU FORGOT, my name is Nate Lynn. I live in North Florida with my wife Christy and our four children. Professionally, I work in the physical security industry, but outside of office hours, I’ve always been drawn to craftsmanship, history, collecting, and the stories behind the things we own.

Beyond physical security sales and my pipe collection, I am also the founder of Revere Cigars, a premium cigar company inspired by American history and the ideals of liberty and independence. When I’m not working my day job or dreaming up new cigar blends, you can usually find me woodworking, traveling, enjoying a good whiskey, collecting movie memorabilia, or just building things with my hands. If there’s a common thread running through my life, it’s a deep appreciation for objects with a soul and a backstory.

Family is a massive part of who I am. In fact, many of my pipe-related adventures have involved my son. Some of my absolute favorite memories in the hobby revolve around traveling with him through Ireland—hunting for Peterson pipes, ducking into local tobacco shops, and eventually touring the Peterson factory together.

I ‘m still relatively new to the world of pipes.  My journey started in March of 2023 at the Gatlin-Burlier Tobacconist in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Ironically, I wasn’t even shopping for myself. I had stopped in to buy a pound of Cades Cove Cavendish for my son, who had recently picked up the hobby and suggested I look around while I was there. At the time, I was just an occasional cigar smoker, but as I was casually browsing their selection, my youngest daughter noticed a churchwarden and immediately began insisting that I needed to “buy a wizard pipe.”

Right then, the gentleman behind the counter stepped out. His name was Rick, and he was impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit with a silver pocket watch chain hanging from his vest. Rick looked down at me and, in a wonderfully deep, booming voice, asked, “Young man, does your daughter know something you don’t?”

I just stood there like a deer staring down impending doom, completely clueless. Rick didn’t give me a chance to stumble over a response. Instead, he elaborated with concise, eloquent gravity: “Are you a stressed-out man who needs to pause, contemplate, and take some time to think?”

“Yep,” I replied.

“Take the young lady’s advice,” Rick said. “And buy the wizard pipe.”

I left the shop with a pound of Cades Cove Cavendish and a Mitchell Thomas Churchwarden—aka the Wizard Pipe.

The first time I lit it up was easily the most horrendous smoking experience of my life. I was treating it like a cigar: cut it carefully, toast the end, give it a proper light, and puff away. I quickly learned that a pipe requires a completely different touch. Fortunately, that rough start didn’t deter me. It ultimately led me to Peterson and to discovering what generations of pipe smokers before me already knew: a pipe isn’t just a smoking instrument; it’s a tool for meditation and relaxation.

My Peterson story came a little later, and was almost entirely accidental. I had visited Ireland several times before I ever took up a pipe. On multiple trips, I walked right past the iconic Peterson storefront across from Trinity College in Dublin without ever stepping inside. I’d look at the shop, think it looked interesting, and just keep walking.

But after buying that first churchwarden in 2023, I returned to Ireland later that year with my family. On November 17th, 2023, I finally walked through those doors, determined to buy my second pipe alongside my son and my youngest daughter.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that I wasn’t just walking into a pipe shop. I was walking into THE pipe shop.

Until that moment, I had absolutely no idea what Peterson really was. I didn’t know the history, the reputation, or the fact that I was standing in the home of one of the most legendary pipe makers in the world. I ended up leaving with a smooth Aran 03 and a green Peterson Old Boy lighter.

Once I got back home and smoked that Aran, I knew I had found something different. Shortly after, I acquired my first System pipe—a 125th Anniversary Deluxe System Ebony 5S. That pipe changed everything. The cool, dry smoke and unique engineering sent me straight down the Peterson rabbit hole, where I happily remain today.

What attracts me most to Peterson is the seamless combination of history, innovation, craftsmanship, and pure personality. Peterson pipes have character. They feel uniquely Irish, they feel purposeful, and they smoke beautifully.

And I love big pipes. Like, really love them. The House and Pub shapes are two of my absolute go-tos. (Ken Sigel, buddy, old pal—whenever you’re ready to part with one of those magnums, I’ve got my wallet ready! lol)

Today, my collection sits at close to 300 Petes and covers everything from Systems and Sherlocks to Meerschaums, Pipe of the Year releases, Silver Caps, and numerous special editions. What started as a simple souvenir purchase in Dublin has evolved into a genuine passion, and I’m always hunting for the next one when time allows.

As for specific favorites, bent pipes completely dominate my collection, and within that I have a massive weak spot for the Calabash line; it’s the one shape I actively hunt for in every special release.

I also have a particular fondness for the Sherlock Holmes series, the Mark Twain, the SPD, the Carroll of Carrollton, and the classic System shapes. The Sherlock line was one of the very first collections to truly capture my imagination as both a smoker and a collector.

As for grail pipes, I tend to chase interesting Peterson history rather than a single, specific pipe, other than a magnum pipe. For me, half the fun is the thrill of the hunt. Whether it’s tracking down a rare Sherlock Meerschaum, a long-discontinued release, or a special edition hiding on the back shelf of a small tobacconist, the search is often just as enjoyable as the acquisition.

As to what I smoke in my Petersons, well, my tastes continue to evolve, but I enjoy a wide spectrum, from traditional aromatics to English mixtures and pure Virginias.

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream holds a permanent, nostalgic place in my rotation because it was the tobacco I smoked in my first System pipe. I still remember sitting outside on a freezing morning, completely floored by how much better this Peterson smoked than anything else I had ever experienced.

More than chasing specific blends, though, I just love pairing the right tobacco with the right pipe. There is a distinct satisfaction in discovering a combination that feels like they were custom-made for each other.

Other than pipes, my world revolves around family, travel, history, cigars, and building things.

I really enjoy woodworking and crafting custom pipe racks, usually out of mahogany and other fine hardwoods.

Who makes his own cedar wood doors? Nate, of course.

A retailer’s humidor, now stocked with REVERE CIGARS!

I like to give most of my racks distinct themes inspired by my favorite things: Peterson history, Irish heritage, bourbon, Mark Twain, Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, or St. Patrick’s Day. Designing and building these custom displays has become almost as rewarding as collecting the pipes themselves.

Ireland has also taken a permanent hold on me. I return regularly, often planning entire itineraries around historic pubs, castles, local heritage, and, of course, all things Peterson. Plus, going over there once or twice a year gives me a chance to see my old friends and my new ones like Austin Quinlan at the factory and Giangi Fiori at the Peterson shop.

Ultimately, I am a collector at heart. Whether it’s pipes, historical artifacts, movie memorabilia, rare books, or handcrafted objects, I find immense joy in preserving and displaying items that carry a legacy.

Down here in North Florida pipe smokers are a pretty rare breed.  Cigars dominate the landscape, and most locals are genuinely surprised when they see someone lighting up a pipe in public.

However, that rarity creates an instant bond when you cross paths with a brother of the leaf. One of the absolute best parts of this hobby is the fellowship. Whether it’s talking shop with fellow Pete Geeks online, chatting with storekeepers in my travels, or sharing a bowl on the porch with my son and friends, the community has become just as vital to me as the pipes themselves.

The Peterson Pipe Notes community has been an incredibly meaningful part of my journey. What started as a casual curiosity quickly became a lifelong passion, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet so many fantastic people who share that same enthusiasm.

As I like to say: Ireland produces two of my absolute favorite things in the world—Guinness and Peterson pipes.

The New Cigar Biz

I see all the bizarre cigar bands a few times a week from etailers, but nothing I’ve seen approaches the Joy of Smoking I feel when I see these, which put me in mind of my Grand Dad and all the other great men I knew as a kid who smoked cigars. If I saw cigars with colors and bands like these, I’m afraid I’d be spending $$$.

One of my recent endeavors has been founding Revere Cigars. Interestingly, the company wasn’t born out of a corporate business plan or a lifelong desire to break into the tobacco industry. It started as pure, unadulterated frustration with the government (I don’t like those guys and gals at all, lol).

Last year, Massachusetts legislators were pushing a bill that would have effectively banned tobacco sales to entire future generations of adults—very similar to the generational ban passed in the UK. I was venting on the phone to a friend, furious about the overreach and the steady erosion of choices for responsible adults. At one point, I just blurted out:

“Paul Revere didn’t ride the Midnight Ride for this s*** to go down in America, much less Massachusetts!”

The second those words left my mouth, a spark caught. Revere Cigars was born right then and there.

The entire brand is built around the idea that the freedoms and responsibilities we inherit are worth defending and celebrating. Every blend, every band, and every story we tell is deeply rooted in American history and the belief that tradition matters.

Our core line—One Lamp, Two Lamps, and Midnight Ride—draws directly from the historic signal lanterns of 1775, and our limited releases continue to explore the people, events, and ideals that shaped the country.

Starting a cigar brand was no easy task. I had the logo, a solid idea of what my blends should be, and rough concepts for the names and artwork, but I had one massive problem: I didn’t have a factory to make them. I reached out to every big-name manufacturer I could find, and the response was always the same—either total silence, or a polite rejection explaining that their minimum order quantities per blend and size were far beyond what a startup could manage.

The Good Lord smiled down on me, though, when I crossed paths with Hymie Lazega of Grouchy Monkey Cigars on Facebook. Hymie listened to what I was trying to do and introduced me to Miguel Pinto, a true veteran of the cigar business. Miguel owns MGE, a beautiful vertically integrated operation with its own tobacco farms and factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Unlike the big corporations, Miguel was willing to take a chance on me. He agreed to take the brand on, working with smaller batch quantities while using the exact, uncompromising blend profiles I asked for. Through Miguel, I was also introduced to an incredibly talented designer, Gianni Brunetti. Gianni took my rough colonial concepts and turned them into absolute masterpieces, helping me fully realize the vision for our bands and box designs

In a lot of ways, Revere Cigars and Peterson pipes come from the exact same corner of my personality. Both represent craftsmanship over convenience, tradition over temporary trends, and the simple, profound pleasure of slowing down long enough to appreciate things that are made well and built to last.

And as we all know Charles Peterson was a bit of a revolutionary as well, not just in creating the System—the dude hid guns for the Irish fighting the Brits, after all. A man after my own heart with the spirit of a founding father.

To all of my Fellow Pete Geeks I am offering a coupon code for Revere Cigars.
30% off any purchase on the website.
Coupon expires July 25, 2026.

Coupon Code: 9GDZPPER

I can’t let the opportunity pass to share some pix of Nate’s smoking lounge at home. On our next visit to the white sands beaches of northern Florida, I’ll be making a stop…

SP^TV Peterson Pipe Finishes with Joshua Burgess

In case you missed it last Sunday or just want to see it again, here’s a great overview and explanation from Josh Burgess and Andy Wike of what goes on in the factory regarding almost all of the current finishes being applied in the factory. Don’t miss it!

MIKE LOHSL sent a photo of his complete set of Carroll of Carrollton pipes–wow. Just wow. Just a little patience–the kind that typifies Mike the Thinking Man:

THE NPG–NEBASKA PETE GEEK John M. Young, whose blog I follow and I highly recommend to you, has just posted his latest creation, a genuine System pipe he’s made using Peterson P Lip stems. It’s the real deal, with a reservoir and army mount ferrule. Take a look at how he did this in this recent post. This is the one in natural, and if you go to his post you can see the one in mahogany!

I was fortunate to get to follow along as he developed the project, and if you know much about Peterson history you know that in the Patent era the factory routinely outsourced various non-standard pipes: gourd calabash, bog oak, cherry wood and clay. I think that if Alfred Kapp, who traveled routinely to Canada and the US as K&P’s ambassador and to solicit orders, had traveled a little further west, he might have met Henry Tibbe, the Dutch-American who founded Missouri Meerschaum in the little town of Washington and they’d have struck a deal for K&P to distribute Cob Systems.  I’ve always loved MM pipes–they have a sweetness that can’t be beat, and in the last few decades have really come to the forefront of pipe-making with better airflow engineering.

If the good folks at K&P read this, maybe they’ll think about sponsoring a MM-Peterson System in the way other companies have done. Do chime in if you second this idea!!

Intellectual property of
Kapp & Peterson
reproduced with their kind permission.