439. Remembering the Petes of 2024
It’s almost funny, me wanting to forget the Everything That Happened,
when that was exactly where I was still stuck.
Maybe the only way to get unstuck was to remember.
–Allie Millington, Olivetti (2024)
First, this is not about FOMO—“fear of missing out”—and neither is it about PPAD—“Peterson Pipe Acquisition Disorder.” So if you feel your heart palpitate, your blood pressure rise, or your fingers begin scrolling to retail sites for pipes of days past, get up. Get up, pour yourself another cup of coffe (a.m.), a nice cold beer (p.m.), but by all means pack your best contemplative Pete and light up.
This morning is just about remembering. Remembering is something the West has largely forgotten how to do, maybe because of technology, maybe because of the terrors of the still-too-recent 20th century. It’s sometimes a traumatic thing and sometimes a very sweet responsibility. When it’s a sweet thing without any trace of remorse it goes under another name: gratitude.
If you’re a bird-watcher or a leaf-peeper or engage in thousands of other flow activities, you know that it’s often enough and more than enough to see or hear something: a great BugEye Sprite at the car show, a Robin Redbreast in Ireland, or (as in our case this morning) a great Peterson that we may never own and even may not want to own. Just seeing and admiring is sometimes enough. It’s the attitude of gratitude.
When I first began to think about K& P’s 2024 pipes, I thought there hadn’t been many new releases. I was seriously mistaken.
I. St. Patrick’s Day 2024 (January 16th).
See Post #380
This release took most of us by surprise and certainly those who loved it really loved it. It’s a System, which I’m sure a lot of folks overlooked when they saw the green acrylic ferrule. Just a few minutes ago I was looking at a 307 ebony SPD System and wondering whether January is too late or too early to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Opinion? Looking back from the distance of a few months now, I really do like the ebony and the chestnut smooth.
II. Shannon Air System (April 1st).
See Post #391
The Shannon Air System was one of those experimental projects that come along every ten or twenty years in Peterson history. It sold out on the first day—as so often happens with these high grade special releases. The triangular shanks brought to mind similar pipes by Lorenzi back in the late 1970s and early 1980s which I’ve always adored, and the sheer beefiness is beyond belief.
The engineering principal is one not far distant from Charles Peterson’s own, seen in the so-called “reverse” calabashes of about 10-15 years ago, but wedded to the bolder muscular aesthetic of Peterson’s house style. If you didn’t get one, drop a line to K&P’s Federica Bruno or Glenn Whelan and add your name to the petition—it may be we’ll see another release next year if we all pitch in.
III. Pipe of the Year Archive Collection (May 22nd).
See Post #401
This was undoubtedly one of the bonuses of moving from the old factory to the new and seeing a box of POYs from years past just ready to finish up. There were a lot of fantastic opportunities here, although as I found out some of the issues featured new stems and slightly refashioned shanks.
IV. Irish Free State Reproductions: 411 Ringed Bullcap & 3085 Panel (June 4th).
See Post #402
For everyone who loves “the old guys,” as my particular friend Ken Sigel calls the Patent and IFS pipes, this release was for them: exquisite pipes of the size widely preferred in the 1920s, allowing for maximum versatility whether in the office or shop, on the racetrack or at the theater. Perfect for a “three-pipe problem” and now reinstated into the regular catalog in several lines.
V. Fourth Annual Carroll of Carrollton (June 19th).
See Post #405
The Carroll of Carrollton reached its fourth year of production in 2024 with a new fabulous squat tomato. Like its precedessors, it’s a demi-churchwarden. If you companion one of these, do leave a comment and let everyone know how it smokes!
VI. Austin Quinlan, Peterson Pipe Artisan, Releases First Pipes (July 7th).
See Post #408
After honing his skills at the factory and his skills as an artisan pipe-maker in his own right, K&P’s Austin Quinlan released his first batch of pipes in July, following them up with two additional drops. Having not just one, but two artisan pipe-makers in the K&P shop is an amazing to think about, and certainly shows in the continuous improvements we see.
VII. Peterson Pipe of the Year 2024 (August 20th).
See Post #411
I can’t rave about this more than Andy Wikes at SPC did to me in an email: “We had Giacomo design a brand new System pipe. It’s a full bend Rhodesian and it’s killer. It’s so cool how it’s a completely new shape, but looks like it could’ve existed alongside other Patent pipes in the 1896 catalog. It’ll be available in a good selection of finishes: Heritage, Rusticated, Terracotta, Sandblasted, and Rua — most of which, including Rua, also will include a few silver-capped versions. We’ll also have a very small number of Ebonys, Naturals, and even a Supreme!” Mine is still cradled right in front of my computer screen, if that tells you how I feel about it.
VIII. Sherlock Holmes Barley (August 9th).
See Post #413
The Barley and the Iora are now officially tied in my personal favorite Pete finishes. The Barley’s beautiful blast and, with its very light coating of carnauba making it a virgen or natural finish, just means that it will grow more and more beautiful (more on how that process works with Prof. John Schantz in just a few weeks, I hope).
IX. Christmas Pipe (September 17th).
See Post #421
This year’s copper spigot Christmas pipes were everything any Pete Geek could want, making it a little daunting deciding which to ask for from Father Christmas. You will not perhaps believe me, but I got my smooth 302 fat bottom in late September and didn’t open it until Christmas morning. I was always the kid (I confess with embarrassment) who made his Halloween candy last until February—as long as I kept it well hid from my bratty twin sisters, who could smell out candy like Arkansas hound dogs treeing a fat raccoon [hope they’re not reading this].
X. Halloween Pipes 2024 (October 1st).
See Post #423
The 2024 Halloween pipes continued K&P’s exploration of demi-churchwardens, pulling off a wonderful Eastern Europe – Carthpathian Gothic vibe with the shapes chosen. I feel Vlad the Impaler and Nosferatu would have been pleased, and certainly my friends among the undead were all quite pleased.
XI. PPN Pipe of the Year 2024 (October 13th).
See Post #425
I shouldn’t tell you this (but here I go), but the PPN pipe is always a really “iffy” proposition. It’s not because Peterson isn’t more than helpful, it’s that I have a terrible time thinking up a System shape, finish, and stain that can be done. Sometimes I want the impossible (“What?! 175 silver caps!!!”), something that can’t be had (“No, Mark, we can’t take all the factory to dig Irish bog oak on our next bank holiday”) or is no longer available (“We haven’t made that shape since 1897—you of all people should know that!”).
Most Pete Geeks think of the Peterson as peopled by life-size leprechauns who go about making magic all day with no regard for supply chain issues, costs, or time constraints, no need to worry about anything at all but waving their magic dust over briar.
This year I was double-blessed by Sykes Wilford, who offered shape 4 (my beloved 309), then asked if we wouldn’t like condensers on them. I tried to gum up the works by asking for two finishes (something Glen will be glad to hear the past two weeks has taught me I won’t ever do again, thank you very much), then got stymied on stain colors. However, it was all eventually done and done very well. There were 175 serialized pipes made, plus the two AP pipes (for “approval”), and from what I’ve seen of everyone’s pipes, almost all of them were far above the blasting and grain of the APs! Good show.
XII. Sherlock Holmes Newgrange Spigots (December 17th).
See Post #435
Who would’ve thought the Sherlock Holmes Newgrange Spigots would’ve looked so much like Christmas? Not I. I’m a little surprised K&P didn’t put a small blue carbuncle in every pipe box. In any event, this iteration of the available SH line is a no-brainer and seeing it now makes it look so, so obvious. Well done, Holmes! Well done, K&P!
XIII. Plateau / Plato 2024 (December 10th).
See Post #376
I want to share a bit more about the 13th release of 2024, because I failed to send out a Special Bulletin to document this extraordinary and beautiful release.
Another bit of whimsy from Chas. Mundungus, honoring Paddy Larrigan’s pun
in naming his freehand creation in the early 1970s the Plato, which remains K&P’s only plateau briar. I’m sure the two words sound almost identical as spoken by many in Ireland.
I didn’t hear about the Plato drop until it was too late to push out a Special Bulletin. I knew it was coming but was just blessed to be working at the computer when I saw the SPC email come through. Even so, in my panic I missed out on my Rua choice. Still, as Chris Lauer CPG told me on the day of the drop, “they’re all gorgeous!”
Last year when the Plato dropped, I fell in love with an incredible Iora. When it came, the chamber was so cavernous that while I was tempted to put it in a case and simply admire it as a museum piece, I came to my senses and returned it. When I heard there was going to be a second Laudisi release of these rarities, I made an early New Year’s Resolution and decided to figure out what I could smoke in something with a 24mm chamber—which most of them seemed to have last year.
See the Thinking Man in the upper left-hand corner of poster? Yes, Chas. was thrilled when he saw SPEu had somehow picked up his Thinking Man smoking a Plato from last year–and used it.
I was disappointed that all the Plateaus were listed on both SPC and SPEu with the same measurements, since it was obvious to even a casual observer that these one-of-a-kind pipes would be all over the place in the chamber depth, and probably in the width as well (in fact, let me rant: lately it seems like there’s a lot of Petes that are listed with identical chamber measurements–viz., if there’s five new 03 shapes, instead of measuring each, we get a generic one-for-all. Problem is, we know as well as they do that there is going to be considerably variation). Still, I hoped against hope and the Iora I received has a chamber width of only 21.6mm. That’s quite acceptable, considering it has a V-shaped chamber that, if filled about halfway up is somewhere between 19 and 20 mm wide.
There were no smooths or ebony offerings this year, but you know, after looking at Plato / Plateaus for 30+ years, I’ve come to prefer the sandblasts over the smooths.
I also like that this year’s pipes did not have the fumed rims, making the exposed plateau more impressive. The Ioras, overall, were visually more stunning to me, but dang, the Ruas popped as well!
As for numbers, Josh Burgess (who’s now–or has merely resumed being or whatever, they don’t tell ME anything–SPC’s Vice President of Manufacturing although he still makes it over to Dublin frequently), told me K&P “made shy of a hundred” this time around. I have no idea how many Supremes were issued. I didn’t see any when I logged on about 3 minutes after getting the email. But something under 100 is about half of last year’s run, so I feel really blessed to have finally–after all these years–added the Plato to my rotation.
For 2025, we know there will be an SPD, an SPD, a POY, Halloween and Christmas pipe. I’ve heard there are also two brand new System shapes being added to the regular catalog (heard from other Pete Geeks, that is). I’m sure there will be many other delights in store.
In the end, after several FOMO disappointments of the last year, I remind myself that whether I’ve got one, a hundred and one or a thousand and one Petes–as my friend the late truck driver Chuck Wright said–if I don’t smoke ‘em, they’re just wood (Chuck strongly felt that a pipe companioned should be a pipe smoked). He also said—and this more to the point of my own enjoyment of pipe smoking and avoidance of both FOMO and attempt to reel back PPAD, there’s always another pipe. I think Charles Peterson himself understood this as well as anyone when he wrote K&P’s mission statement back in 1905:
“When we think how universally the Pipe has affected modern thought,
in art, science, literature, politics, and even the pulpit;
how it has contributed to the best wit of our time;
how it has given relief and solace to overworked brains;
how it has drawn men together everywhere in many a jovial social smoke,
and added comfort to countless chimney corners,
the importance of supplying as perfect a Pipe as possible
is at once recognized.”
Coda
From Mexico City, Michael Sparks CPG wrote me New Year’s Day: “It’s January 1st and Happy New Year’s to all Pete Geeks! I’ve made a resolution not to make a resolution to not buy any new Petes this year. And it’s a good thing I have, because it’s only one in the afternoon and had I made a resolution to not buy any new Petes this year, I would’ve broken all previous records for making resolutions to not buy any new Petes in the new year by having already bought two. Help!”
David Seulean CPG, hearing of Michael’s lament, told me to tell Michael: “Well, Michael, don’t feel too bad. As my guru Ram Das once told me, only a little tongue in cheek, ‘For those of us who need a little physical support on our spiritual journey…we have some merchandise available in the back for you to purchase!'” ‘Nuff said.
For all the great photos here and help in 2024,
many thanks to the great folks at Kapp & Peterson
and Laudisi Enterprises
Mike Austin CPG
Eric B., CPG
Stuart Whelan CPG
Tom Cuffe CPG, Galway
Jonathan Gut CPG (O.2 IFS System on left)
D. H. Billings CPG
Matt Gase CPG
James Bourgault CPG
Brad Starcevich CPG
Vincent Malouf CPG (left) and William Malouf CPG (right)
John Waugh CPG
B J Gregorio
“Nevadatude” Mark Hunt CPG
Gilbert Ludwig CPG, Finland
Don’t forget, if you bought a PPN pipe you can have a merit badge added to your CPG,
or receive your CPG, just by sending a photo to Petegeek1896@gmail.com.
