Thoughts on Petersons from a Junkie

[blr1911]

It likely isn't a secret I have a fetish for Petes, so I thought I'd mention some random thoughts and things now that I'm back into full pipe smoking swing after a decade off -

Silver Spigots are a little smallish

Army mounts are needed IMO on all pipes. I burned a bowl of Gold Blend in my SS 999. Started gurgling half way through, popped the bit out, blew through it, put it back in, no more gurgle. That is a big plus to me.

Deluxe pipes are lacking in one and only one way IMNSO - too much pressure drop. That Pete lip has to go. Otherwise, they are the pinical of pipes to me (aside from the lust worthy Irish Army). I'd like to breed the Deluxe and Silver, if I could. I really would. Best features of both.

I like the deeper bowl of the 4S for Navy Flakes.

The 999 is great for Virginans and Aromatics.

Billiars are fun until the they drain back on you.

Sitters are the most practial for me.

It takes about 5 to 10 bowls for a Pete to settle in for a great smoke.

A moderately rubbed University Blend is the most enjoyable break-in 'bac IMO. Not too aromatic, with enough body to be dominant over the break-in.

Ghosting isn't entirely "bad." Some of my best smokes have been a mixture of aromatic Petes (Luxury Blend and DeLuxe Blend one after the other).

Evening Stroll is entirely too sweet now, but I have 4 full sleeves and a couple half gallon jars full of it for some reason.

That's it for right now.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Ghosting isn't entirely "bad."

Hear hear! :cheers:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I've had Petes get a little swampy, especially when I first started out with my first, but I figured out how to make 'em work. They've never gurgled on me, though.

There's a couple 999-ish shapes that have military mounts, or I've an active (but plausible) imagination. I'd be okay with that kind of Pete setup.

 

[Idlefellow]

The old wive's tale about never removing a warm stem is just that. Been doing it for years and have never broken a stem. Take your time, twist a lot, don't force anything, and keep the tenon in line; don't "bend" it. If a stem's too tight a little graphite from an old "lead" pencil will keep it slipping in and out quite nicely.

 

[Harlock999]

Two factors that keep me apart from Peterson are the smallish size of most of their pipes, and vulcanite stems. If they made a larger pipe with an acrylic stem, I think I would be all over it, as I do love the spectacular grain to be found even in their more affordable ranges. I would prefer they forgo the dip staining and filling of briar imperfections though. I'm sure there are diehard Pete freaks out there who would read the above and shake their heads, thinking " He just doesn't get it..."

 

[monbla256]

Two factors that keep me apart from Peterson are the smallish size of most of their pipes, and vulcanite stems. If they made a larger pipe with an acrylic stem, I think I would be all over it, as I do love the spectacular grain to be found even in their more affordable ranges. I would prefer they forgo the dip staining and filling of briar imperfections though. I'm sure there are diehard Pete freaks out there who would read the above and shake their heads, thinking " He just doesn't get it..."

Guess you've not seen any of the high-grades such as the House pipes? They make some really nice straight grains as well. Look thru the WHOLE line ! :twisted:

 

[Harlock999]

Two factors that keep me apart from Peterson are the smallish size of most of their pipes, and vulcanite stems. If they made a larger pipe with an acrylic stem, I think I would be all over it, as I do love the spectacular grain to be found even in their more affordable ranges. I would prefer they forgo the dip staining and filling of briar imperfections though. I'm sure there are diehard Pete freaks out there who would read the above and shake their heads, thinking " He just doesn't get it..."

Guess you've not seen any of the high-grades such as the House pipes? They make some really nice straight grains as well. Look thru the WHOLE line ! :twisted:

But do the House pipes have acrylic stems?.

 

[monbla256]

Two factors that keep me apart from Peterson are the smallish size of most of their pipes, and vulcanite stems. If they made a larger pipe with an acrylic stem, I think I would be all over it, as I do love the spectacular grain to be found even in their more affordable ranges. I would prefer they forgo the dip staining and filling of briar imperfections though. I'm sure there are diehard Pete freaks out there who would read the above and shake their heads, thinking " He just doesn't get it..."

Guess you've not seen any of the high-grades such as the House pipes? They make some really nice straight grains as well. Look thru the WHOLE line ! :twisted:

But do the House pipes have acrylic stems?.

Not that I know of. To bad as your missing out on some of the NICEST pipes made by ANYONE out there

 

[Richard Burley]

Any Flame Grain I've ever seen was acrylic.

 

[blr1911]

The old wive's tale about never removing a warm stem is just that. Been doing it for years and have never broken a stem. Take your time, twist a lot, don't force anything, and keep the tenon in line; don't "bend" it. If a stem's too tight a little graphite from an old "lead" pencil will keep it slipping in and out quite nicely.

I prefer the taper fit Military Mounts at any rate.

I wish Pete had a custom shop....

 

[kaiser83]

I have to be honest, when I get a Pete I break them in hard and fast. Some of my best smokes were on the third bowl within just a few hours. Petes perform like a champ all the time, and they do better for me when I treat them like the Irish drunks they are.

 

[blr1911]

I treat them like Irish s...., er, um, sweethearts. Yeah. That's it. Sweethearts.

 

[Anonymous]

The "Don't remove and replace the stem while it's hot" deal is to keep the stem from winding up being a loose fit in the mortise.

FWIW

:face:

 

[blr1911]

Which is true of any wood part.

Which is even true for taper fit military bits too. Though the taper fit ones can be abused orders of magnitude more before a problem shows up.

 

[Idlefellow]

The "Don't remove and replace the stem while it's hot" deal is to keep the stem from winding up being a loose fit in the mortise.

FWIW

:face:

Maybe that's chapter two of the tale; I've never had that happen either.

 

[Anonymous]

I have.

FWIW

:face:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I have, too.

Always curiously watched a guy at Tinder Box, a newbie smoker, who neurotically would take a part his basket pipe to swab the shank and the stem mid-smoke, which had a tight fit anyway. He had done this a half-dozen times in front of me, random days, here and there. Didn't seem to be a problem.

The day it happened, it happened silently and swiftly: half the shank split down part of the grain and fell on the floor. It looked like a perfect cutaway, showing how the stem (used to) fit in to the (once whole) shank. He stared at the piece on the floor, said something that rhymed with "duck" but with more "eff" sound at the beginning, and bought another basket pipe. He continued to take this new pipe apart and put it back together as he puffed. *shrug*

Wood fibers expand when warm and wet, and is also softer. Interacting with it in this state can have unintended consequences. When bread first comes out of the oven, it is much different than when it's left on the counter for two days. Same concept for almost all "thirsty" organic material.

8)

 

[Idlefellow]

Darn. Sucks to be you guys I guess.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ill-fitting stems can be dealt with. Ceasing any offending activity leading to it can sometimes work itself out, otherwise, the tenon can be expanded. Broken stuff, on the other hand, that's another matter. Fortunately that wasn't my any of my pipes' fate.