Author: Mark Irwin

Special Bulletin THE NEW COBBLE FINISH DROPS TOMORROW, 8/20   This in from Andy Wike @ Smokingpipes.com: We’re planning on releasing Cobble on Wednesday, August 20 at 1:00pm Eastern. Smokingpipes Europe will put theirs up earlier that day as well.   The following shapes will be included in the Smokingpipes US drop: P-Lip: 03 • 106 • 69 • 150 • 406 • 999 • B10 • 120 • XL02 • 15 • 608 • 05 • 701 • 221 Fishtail: 264 • 53 • Lovat   Andy also forwarded this official release: Kapp & Peterson has been experimenting with textured finishes for many years now — from retooling and refining rustication techniques as well as completely overhauling and rebuilding the marque’s sandblasting process to adhere more closely to artisanal pipe-making practices. While those efforts have led to impressive results, including a more refined rustication pattern and some immaculate sandblasted finishes (like those bearing the marque’s PSB designation), Peterson has continued to experiment and is proud to introduce a brand new, premium textured finish: the Cobble. Peterson’s Cobble incorporates the character of the factory’s finest sandblasted and rusticated pipes, resulting in a deep, craggy appearance fitting to its name. While many marques and workshops produce “dual-finished” pipes, Peterson’s Cobble is more than the sum of its parts. Though incorporating aspects of both Peterson’s signature rustication and sandblasting style, the finish itself required completely new techniques in both regards, including new tooling and procedures. I love the twin-bead sterling band and glad to see it in use again! The goal was to create a finish reminiscent of early 20th century English sandblasts — defined by their immensely craggy texture and uniquely rugged aesthetic — that also maintained the leading lines of any given pipe shape. The Kapp & Peterson team experimented with many different techniques to achieve this result until Sykes himself developed the first prototype after hours “playing” in the blasting cabinet. Kapp & Peterson’s Managing Director Glen Whelan is responsible for coming up with the name Cobble, alluding to the finish’s similarities to the cobblestone streets synonymous with old Dublin. Whelan says, Street in Temple Bar, Dublin “The idea for the name Cobble came from the similarities with this finish and the famed cobble-paved streets which are synonymous with Ireland. The cobbled streets share a uniformity in aesthetic, but it’s only after you get up close to them that you see the uniqueness that has been carved into them from hundreds of years of history. This is the essence of our new Cobble finish in the factory and what we are trying to achieve. In the early stages of production, the pipes will all share a uniformity but once we move them to the sandblasting stage, we unearth the uniqueness in each and every pipe. Using our iconic red/black stain allows us to further highlight the contrasting areas of grain structure on the surface of the bowl. Given the importance of this year in Peterson’s history, we felt it very…