Any one know about the quality of the Peterson 'Harp'?

[PipedJimmy]

That's a nice pipe Sasquatch, I haven't quite grown into the rustic/ sandblasted look though, my limited experience leads me to favour things that are shiny lol. I've got a B10 too, no complaints other than at the bottom of the bowl, unless I leave it packed very loose, don't seem to have much luck keeping the tobacco lit down there. Thank you all for your help!

 

[Sasquatch]

"which pete smokes the best"

Well, that's a complicated question with a long answer, and the answer is going to be split into 2 categories. Peterson makes two totally different kinds of pipes, the "System" and "Regular" pipes. System pipes purposely make the smoke go through a very circuitous route in the pipe, and this condenses a lot of the water in the smoke. In theory, it makes for a gurgle free smoke because the pipe is designed with a place for the excess moisture to go. I have 3 system pipes, and they all have differently shaped tenon tips, and I've seen older Petes with different shapes again. It seems to make a difference - my 303 system smokes better than my 315, which is more bent and has a much "tighter" tip, and gurgled like hell until I modified it.

Non-system pipes are like any other pipe, and how well they work will depend on how well they are drilled, the size and shape of the stem (inside) etc. So a standard shape, like a 606 pot, for example, will function roughly like any other pot drilled that way. As a pipe maker, I drill pots with airways almost twice as wide as Peterson, so mine smoke quite a bit differently. But staying within Peterson, you'll find that all their small, straight pipes smoke about the same (I think the 31 is a straight system pipe, so it don't count). Pipes with a slight bend function very similarly to straight pipes, so things like a B10 are likely going to be drilled well and work well. I much more bent pipe like the 221 is more difficult to drill correctly, and in a sense, that's where the birth of the system pipe comes in. But if you have a non-system (like a harp) pipe, you have to hope that the tenon and the drilling in the stummel line up and don't interfere with one another. There's definitely no guarantee, as I highly doubt Peterson has anyone measuring tenons on each and every pipe. So a guy is hoping it was designed well in the first place and executed well at the factory.

Now, all that said, some people swear by system pipes, and others think that knocking moisture out of the smoke also knocks some flavor out, given that essences and oils are carried by the water which you are knocking out of the smoke with a system pipe. I'm not really going to offer an opinion that is anti-Peterson, because my system 303 is a fantastic pipe, but as a pipe maker, I strive for laminar flow in the airways and really try to limit how many obstacles the smoke has to clear before it hits the mouth.

What is NOT acceptable is a pipe that is sorta kinda in the middle - a pipe that condenses because of a tortuous airway and does not have a mechanism in place to deal with the moisture. That's a bad pipe.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah that pipe appeals to me. The dip stain isn't that big a deal. For years though, I wondered why it took Petes so long to break in. Just smoke the hell out of it.

 

[Sasquatch]

Just smoke the hell out of it.

Zactly.

 

[PipedJimmy]

I know this is a bit of an abstraction from the thread topic, but how do you know when a pipe is broken in??

 

[kilted1]

When it starts tasting more like tobacco than other things :lol:

That said, I own more Pete's than any other single 'brand' of pipes. I don't recall any of them breaking in any harder than any other pipe I've ever owned from new. I don't have the expectation that any pipe when new will smoke well for the first 5-10 bowls ... I don't care WHO makes it or how it is stained. Just like a cast iron frying pan, it takes awhile to season a pipe to start tasting like tobacco, instead of wood/stain or a combination of the two.

The absolute BEST smoking Pete I own is a cheapy Shannon in the 05 shape, I think I paid about $60 for it brand new. It has no silver work, not even a decorative band, just smooth natural finish briar and vulcanite stem, not a fill to be seen. Honestly it is one of the best smoking pipes I've ever owned!

I love the Royal Irish, and Spigot lines that Pete carry, though they can get pretty pricey.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

Sasquatch,

Thanks for your explanation of system vs non-system Petes and internal engineering, but the question I had was concerning your statement--"Shape is important - some petes shapes smoke better than others for damn sure." If you don't have an answer or don't care to answer, that's OK with me.

Jim

 

[Sasquatch]

Dawg, in my limited experience, I find that my 303 system outperforms my 315xl with every tobacco. It tastes better, smokes better and easier, and less wet in the bowl and in the shank. The 140th anniversary pipe outperforms them both. It's an unbelievably good pipe. My 606 pot I find very difficult to keep lit I suspect because the bowl is extremely wide and shallow and the airway extremely narrow in the stem.

I have heard almost nothing but negative comments on the very steeply bent pipes in the Sherlock Holmes series, the Baskerville for example, and this would come down to engineering difficulties.

The straight "system pipe" which I'm sure is the 31, I have been told to avoid by a number of folks. It amounts to a stinger-tenon affair with a bad draw, from what I gather.

All the rest comes down to the engineering of any individual pipe. I personally could drill a B10 quite perfectly in my shop. But that does not mean that each and every B10 that Peterson produces is drilled perfectly. My experience with factory pipes in general (broad, sweeping statement warning) is that the easiest shapes to drill (ie straight pipes) are less likely to be problematic smokers than harder shapes (ie full bent). It's easier to screw up a full bent. For example, I saw a 140th Anniversary pipe (and rejected it at the shop) that was NOT drilled anywhere near as well as the one I picked. It was nicer on the outside, but bad on the inside, and wouldn't smoke as well as the ugly one I picked.

 

[PipedJimmy]

Thanks Kilted, like the new profile picture ans Ol'Dawg, like the dog lol, how do you check a pipe has fills though?

 

[Sasquatch]

Look for small spots or patches where there's no grain, possibly a slightly different color, and smooth in texture. They may have slightly differnt shine to them. It's like birdseye grain but totally featureless.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

Thanks Sasquatch! I was not aware of that information.

Jim

 

[Sasquatch]

You get what you pay for around here.

 

[kilted1]

I too enjoyed the comparison Sasquatch offered on the difference between system pipes and 'regular' pipes. I can vouch for the engineering issues with the single deeply bent system pipe that I own. While it delivers smoke well, and stays dry (I've never had to drink tobacco while smoking it) it does tend to gurgle starting about halfway through a bowl. I have three system pipes, and the other two are 1/8 bent and 1/4 bent and neither have any issues at all. The gurgling one is an 05 shape which is nearly an Oom Paul for those unfamiliar, my non-system Shannon 05 smokes about the best of any pipe I own as I've already related.

On the whole I'd say as long as one isn't seeking a perfect smoke from a full bent system pipe that 'the system' works well over all, having said that, I find it a little bit 'gimmicky' and not something I'll be seeking in future purchases. I own plenty of pipes which offer a cool dry smoke which don't have any system drilling at all.

YMMV

 

[Sasquatch]

I've been more impressed with pipes that are designed/machined well in terms of airway and tenon placement, and tenon design, than by system pipes. In a sense, a system pipe relieves the pipe maker of his stricter duties. There's a lot more room for error.

 

[pipeoverwife]

Just got my Peterson pipe! This is one of my nicest pipes in my collection of Peterson's. Not sure which tobacco to try in it first.... Suggestions?


-pipeoverwife