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Happy International Pipe Smoking Day! Or is that “International Peterson Smoking Day”? No matter—it is a joy to pass along greetings from Pete Freeks across the globe and pictures of their Sweet Petes.

John H. Schantz, Billings, Montana. I have so many favorite Petes but I had to go with this Darwin Natural [pictured above]. It is a confirmed good looker AND good smoker. One of my favorite tobaccos is Rattray’s “Exotic Orange” and my drink of choice, in very moderate amounts, is Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I like sharing good times, good tobacco and good drink with friends. Cheers!

Ekin can Çelik, Antalya (south coast of) Turkey. Cardiac surgeon. 1979 Red Premier Block Meer 303 System.

Jim Daniels, Folsom, California (that’s right, home of the Folsom Prison that Johnny Cash made famous). Truck driver and avid fly-fisherman. XL5 De Luxe (tapered) System; 01s De Luxe System.

Martin Schwarz, Bavaria. Carpenter and ski serviceman. 302 9mm System Spigot modified to 3mm & metal condenser.

Jorgen Jensen, Denmark. 312 Premier, Éire era (1937-48). Jorgen writes that found this pipe “on a Saturday morning in a market not far from here. I was on my bike and saw the pipe. “How much?” I said. “Two hundred,” he said, “it is silver.” “No,” I said, “it is nickel,” and took the pipe. But it was silver and as the man looked angry, I hurriedly paid. And cheap it was. The stem was green, but I sandpapered on the machine and it went back to black. When I started to smoke it, the band began to move and the bone chimney stuck in the stem. So I sent it to Dublin and Tony Dempsey [former co-CEO, before Tom Palmer] fixed it for me. No charge.

Glen Whelan, Ireland. Director of Sales (“the best job in the world”), Peterson. B57 Flame Grain –“it smokes like a steam train!”

Paul Smith, near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Chef. 303 System. “My dad was a Peterson man, and I’m following the example he set.”

Marlowe Sharp, Ontario Canada. Retired police officer, now commercial honeybee breeder. Loring, Ontario, Canada. 303 System Blast with deer antler/rifle shell tamper.

Rick Newcombe, Los Angeles, California. CPCC Doctor of Pipes, 2005. Founder and chairman of Creators Syndicate, author of In Search of Pipe Dreams and Still Searching for Pipe Dreams. De Luxe System 9S, hallmarked 1926 (Irish Free State).

Rob Cuccaro, Bohemia, New York. Financial Advisor. Sherlock Holmes Professor Meerschaum. “Financial advisor by day—discovering new tobaccos by night!”

Josh Burgess, Dublin. Managing Director, Laudisi Ireland (Peterson). Sherlock Holmes Rusticated Professor: “one of the best-smoking pipes in my rotation!”

Mark Irwin, Texas. Retired English teacher, now amateur writer. 4s Supreme Gold Mount, hallmarked 1979.  “Any 309 / 4 would do, but this Supreme has to be the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

Al Jones, New Orleans. Director of Operations, Roy Rogers Restaurants. 9BC and 999 shape enthusiast, frequent blogger at Reborn Pipes, and MGB devotee. 9BC Kapruf.

Ralle Perera, Farsta, Sweden. Artist. Favorite shape: 05 Calabash.

Johann Tjärnbro, Haninge, Sweden. Nurse. “My favorite Peterson is a Kapruf with “Made in Ireland” but no shape number to be found. Could it be an XL88s?” [Irwin: Looks like one to me. That ring blast is incredible.]

Linwood Hines, Richmond, Virginia. Founder of the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS) and Richmond Pipe Show; CPCC Doctor of Pipes, 2003. XL02 Royal Irish—“smokes so wonderfully—still the sweetest, after years of enjoyment.”

Rob Guttridge, Oregon. “Retired from a career in recycling, I now spend much more time than before on forestry, and about the same amount of time on reading, singing, astronomy and pipe-smoking.” System 9S De Luxe.

Lowell Nussey, Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Retired pastor. Sherlock Holmes Baker Street, hallmarked 2013 [notice the great beading and grain!].

Tom Mydosh, Green Acres, Upstate New York. Reincarnated Late-Victorian Eccentric Country Squire. System 308. “My System Grade 3 with sterling ferrule marked K&P, with each character inside a shield–unusual for this grade. No shape number on the stummel, but likely a 308. A fantastic smoker! Whenever I smoke this pipe I get the urge to re-read Trollope. The Vicar of Bullhampton is one of his best, although not as lighthearted as his Chronicles of Barsetshire novels. . . . And our house does have a passing resemblance to the one in [the old TV show] Green Acres.

Andy Wike, Little River, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Brand & Communications Manager, Laudisi Enterprises. 312 Hand Made F-Mount Spigot System. (Yes, he keeps it in a gun safe when not smoking it and refused to divulge his home address.)

Rob Soto, Portland, Oregon. Displayed by Juan Carlos are two pipes belonging to his valet (me, Rob). At bottom is a St Pat’s Day B30, a favorite but rare shape that I first smoked on my wife’s birthday. At top is a Meerschaum XL90, my favorite shape, that I first smoked on our 30th wedding anniversary. Juan Carlos is a wonderful companion when I smoke on the deck. Cheers!

To all who contributed to today’s post, all who read the blog and all who celebrate the day, this ancient Celtic blessing:

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

Postscript:

Rob Soto: “Our other kitty Diego loves pipe cleaners. He carries them around and will fetch them when thrown. I get him the extra fluffy ones and have to hide my own supply.”