Brian Heydn

Nollaig Shona Daoibh! Merry Christmas to All! We few, we happy few, we band of brothers— for whoever smokes his pipe with me today shall be my brother. However humble his birth, this day shall grant him nobility. —Henry the Fifth, Act 4, Sc. 3 (early manuscript version) It's here at last, and I hope you're had, are having or will have one or several Christmas smokes in your favorite Pete today. This morning I welcome back Paul Combs, CPG, who has more experience smoking long-stemmed pipes and Patent House Pipes than anyone I know. It's his belief (and one I share) that Charles Peterson's personal devotion to the House Pipe stems was a well-deserved one. We're both hoping K&P might one day bring back the House Pipe stem, which provides a unique and rich smoking experience unlike any other.Merry Christmas to all of you at PPN!  I feel privileged to have four Patent Era Peterson House Pipes currently in service. For fun I have given them each a name that reflects something about its character or its place in my pipe family: The Brick, The Prince, The Scholar, and The Queen. We know from the Peterson literature that house pipe stems of this era were available in 7”, 9”, and 15” lengths and various materials and configurations including thick / thin and wide / narrow (see The Peterson Pipe, p. 166). Among my four house pipes I have two 7”, one 9”, and one 11” (which was shortened due to a repair – original length unknown) and all of them representing a variety of the thin / thick / wide / narrow buttons. Smoking qualities: These pipes all have a 5/32” (~4mm) draft hole and draw almost effortlessly with an especially ‘open’ feeling. They also have an uncanny ability to stay lit without much effort – on several occasions during a smoke I have set one down to go to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, returned, picked it up and resumed puffing without the need for a re-light. The longer stems provide more cooling than I get from a ‘regular’ sized pipe, and the substantial mass of briar on all of these pipe bowls (except for The Scholar) performs like a heat sink around the chamber providing additional cooling. From a practical standpoint these pipes are not ‘clenchable’ – due to size and weight they want to be held and supported in the hand during use, which I personally find enjoyable - sort of a tactile bonus. They are full in the palm. The Brick: Patent Grade 3, no date hallmark. Overall length 9-7/8” (251mm), 7” (178mm) Full Size / Space Fitting (‘S’) Bit, Empty Weight 6 ounces (168g). Chamber depth 2.5” (64mm), chamber diameter 15/16” (23.6mm). By far the heaviest of the four and the beefiest bit tip at 15mm wide and 9mm thick right in front of the button – you won’t forget that it is in your mouth but not at all uncomfortable. When…