It has a metal wind cap over a rim cap as well as a shank cap and ferrule to hold the carved Cherry wood stem with a horn end, flexible hose portion and horn stem. It is dirty and scratched but every kilometer of its journey can be seen in the bowl and shank of the pipe. The stem has a horn end and horn mouth piece with a flexible hose portion in the middle that is in quite good condition. The photos below show the pipe from a variety of angles and close up views.
We have always stayed close to our roots –our pipes are still seen as ‘traditional’ and I think that this is very important”. There are many Peterson pipes with sterling silver bands that do not have hallmarks though, even some in the Premier and Deluxe grades. Before it was Peterson Pipes it was the Kapp Brothers – Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp, German immigrants to Ireland from Nürnberg, Germany, who founded the famed Kapp Brothers store on Grafton Street, Dublin, in 1865. Then one day a Latvian immigrant, Charles Peterson, strolled into the Kapp workshop and declared that he could make better pipes than they.
I have always been attracted to it and admired the classic shape, size and finish. They were offering the same pipe in various finishes and stem fittings. Having had the opportunity to see the pipe ‘in the flesh’, I am amazed at the quality, feel, looks and the smoking performance.
This one is a 53 Lovat that has a rich coloured finish with amazing grain around the bowl sides and shank. It also came to us from the estate of Anglican minister that was a great friend of mine here in Canada. The P-Lip mouthpiece was originally designed by Charles Peterson in 1865. Peterson designed the mouthpiece as part of his Dry System pipe design.
Owning such pipes is like having access to miniature time capsules. The Peterson Manx (Laxey Pipes Ltd.) Isle of Man factory partnership ceased operation about 1981 and the production of all African Meerschaum pipes was moved to Dublin and continued there until 1986. English made actually spanned the period between the pre Republic and Republic eras. The Kapp brothers, George and Frederick originally emigrated to Great Britain from Nuremburg in Bavaria. They first appear in the London trade directories in 1866, when they are listed as Meerschaum pipe makers of 98 Dean Street, Soho, London. They then parted company in 1869 and established their own pipe shops independently of each other.
Designed as a hand holding a flaming sword in Irish “an Claíomh Solais” or “sword of light” the mark bears the date 1916 to the right above and 1966 to the left below. An Claidheamh Soluis (Old Irish spelling), this was hallmarked with the letter Y. This very unusual and special date mark has in recent years become very scarce, mainly because it was only used for that year. Pipes that were marked thus, are much sought after by Peterson pipe collectors.
Shortly thereafter, a Latvian immigrant, Charles Peterson, strolled into the Kapp workshop and declared that he could make better pipes than they could. They vary in price from the Ebony and Ivory at around $300 and up to $1000 for the River, 6 pipe set. The first hallmark on this pipe is what is noted as captain black tobacco Hibernia – a seated woman with her arm on a harp. I’d love to regain these to a workable state if possible; they are lovely pipes. The other is an unfortunate Savinelli; the actual wood is broken, right at the connection between pipe body and stem. One is a Peterson 2018 Pipe of the Year, Smooth Fishtail.
The business was then inherited by their 10 and 12 year old sons and was renamed Kapp Brothers after executors were appointed. Charles Peterson by then was the lead craftsman and managed the business on behalf of Fredrick and his wife’s executors until the boys came of age. When the Kapp brothers did eventually come of age, Alfred Kapp and Charles Peterson bought out Christian’s shareholding and renamed the business Kapp & Peterson.
It is a very unique looking Peterson’s Kapet pipe in a shape 124 – a shape I have not seen or worked on before and one that I want to learn about as I worked on it. All of the pipes were in clean condition and had been reamed. This long canted looking pipe that is kind of a cutty had some burn marks on the front and back outer edge of the rim. The pipe was stamped on the left side and read Peterson’s [over] Kapet and on the right side it read Made in the Republic of Ireland. There was a silver band on the shank that was oxidized but otherwise in good condition and bears a Sterling Silver stamp on the top side.