Spigot

  The Copper Tops are Back! Per Andy Wike at SPC: “We’re releasing Peterson’s Christmas 2024 pipes beginning at 6:00pm Eastern Daylight time on Tuesday, September 17.  This year’s edition brings back the copper accents, this time in the form of spigot mounts. We’re pairing that with a number of classic finishes (including Ebony this year!), as well as Cumberland-patterned acrylic stems.” The 2019 Copper Top XL02 Fat Bottom For some reason at this time of year I always begin to wonder if there will be a pipe under the Christmas tree for me.  No, that’s wrong.  I begin to wonder what pipe (or maybe pipes) will be under the tree.  I’ve even been known to send Father Christmas a short list—just to get ahead of the rush, of course. I say this because there have been some Epic Fails on my part, like the Fat Bottom XL02 from 2019 seen above.  I cannot begin to tell you how seeing this pipe again has caused the iron to enter my soul: did I not get it for Christmas? did I get it and—surely not—sell it off?!  did I, worse yet, never even order it? *   A trio of 2019 Copper Top 304s (I do like this sharp-edged, gritty rustication) The Copper Tops are back for Christmas this year, and yes, I can hear all the Pete Geeks singing that famous chorus from Handel’s well-known oratorio, in either its original version or the performance version Mozart created.  Since its debut in 2018, the copper ferrule has become increasingly iconic for the Peterson Christmas commemorative and I caught myself doing one of those long, grateful sighs when I first caught sight of it, having been deprived of it last year. Mounting marks: Shamrock, Wolf Hound, Round Tower If you’re fairly new to all this hoopla, let me direct your attention to the great Mount Marks—not hallmarks, of course, but the fabled Shamrock, Wolf Hound, and Round Tower which graced nickel mount Petes from c. 1922—c. 1963. I have no samples with which to offer you the kind of over-the-top microscopic, spectroscopic, fluoroscopic, stereoscopic analysis regularly disseminated by this blog. I do, however, have a few minor observations to make before letting you proceed to the gallery walk below.  First, remember the drop in Europe occurs Tuesday at 10am Dublin time. Second, be on the lookout for shapes not reported in the official press releases, and if possible, take a snap shot of them for us here on the blog. Finally, the huge number of shapes being made available makes me think there will be relatively few of any one particular style, so if you’ve got a shape and finish you’re hoping for, plan to arrive early at the drop party.   See you there! GALLERY Ebony 102   230   406   X220   Heritage 01   69   406   701   D17   X220   XL02     Rustic 01   03   05   68   69   102…