Author: Mark Irwin

 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…