Peterson collector

You can learn quite a bit about a Kappnist or Pete Geek by his pipes. There is a great deal to discover and admire in the rich collecting interests of Bob Cuccaro, aka “TLIP.” I’ll let Bob tell you how his interests came about.  The Complete Classic Meerschaum Collection and Special Black Rack It was one of those mid-Spring days in 2018 where there was still a chill in the air but the sun beating through my driver’s side window of my car made it feel like summer.  I arrived at my local cigar shop for a ceremonious cigar to celebrate graduation.  Whenever I walked into the shop, I would walk past the pipe case and observe all the shapes and types of pipes, ranging from a white pipe which I had no clue was meerschaum to some other unique looking ones that had bends with darkened silver spigots.  I bent down and this rich merlot-looking pipe stood out. I inquired about the pipe to the tobacconist, and he said without paying attention, “Oh, that’s a Peterson.”  “Can I hold it?” I asked with a simple curiosity.  Little did I know that would be my first Peterson pipe, a Killarney 87.  The store had a lot of in-house tobacco, but I noticed some tins on the shelf that garnished the same Peterson name, Sherlock Holmes and Connoisseur’s Choice.  “I’ll take the pipe and those two tobacco tins.” I cracked open the Connoisseur’s Choice and packed a bowl like a kid shoving his finger into a light socket for the first time (not a wise idea, but we have to learn the hard way).  The red-blossoming cherry formed in the bowl nicely with a match. The PSOI (Pipe Smokers of Ireland) Annual Commemoratives Now I did have two pipes from about 10 years earlier, one that is a slight bent pipe with only the  marking “Italy” on the bottom and the other a Butz Choquin Brumaire.  I never really got into pipes, since every time I lit them up I found the nighttime ceremony of bringing the tooth bristle to my mouth with paste made my tongue feel like I indulged in rolling ghost peppers around my mouth.   This Peterson was different.  I got bitten, but I found the quality of the tobacco and pipe were exceptional.  The vulcanite stem was easy to clench, and I smoked this pipe daily for weeks and weeks. French Brevet Clay System (bottom) and Scottish-made Clay System (top) I researched the company and found a history so rich in the pipe-making process, a variety of shapes, sizes, and lines that I figured I could get into this brand.  Next time I visited the store, an Orange Army 01 was my next pipe. Wow! An acrylic army mount that I could detach while smoking and blow out the pool of humidity and condensation! Now I had two pipes, and I thought, “I may never NEED or want more pipes!” A little trip to upstate New York…