Peterson 2007 Sherlock Holmes Turkish Block Meerschaum Pipe, Irish Estates

Description

Peterson pipes generally need no introduction, but just in case you’re unfamiliar: in 1876, a Latvian named Charles Peterson immigrated to Ireland and was hired making pipes in a workshop owned by Frederick and George Kapp. After rising through the ranks to become head craftsman, Peterson bought into the Kapp’s business, which was renamed, Kapp & Peterson (K&P). During this time, Peterson himself applied for several patents for pipe designs, including the world-famous Peterson’s System. Since then, Peterson has become one of the most recognizable names in pipe smoking and continues to produce high quality pipes from their headquarters in Dublin.

While Peterson is a make primarily known for their briar pipes, there have, at times, also been Peterson meerschaum pipes. These pipes are prized by collectors, in part because they unite popular Peterson shapes and design elements (such as the P-lip), and in part because they’re very rare. Most Peterson meerschaum pipes were made in the 1970s, as a result of a collaboration with a British company called Laxey (who also made Barling and Nording meers), and those pipes were made from African meerschaum, which was Laxey’s specialty. After African meerschaum stopped being mined, Laxey closed and no more Peterson meerschaums were produced—with one small exception. See, in 2007, Peterson released a special, limited edition run of Turkish meerschaum pipes, carved in the form of their Sherlock Holmes series shapes. This one, for example, is a meerschaum version of the Professor shape, complete with a vulcanite P-lip stem and a sterling silver collar. I’m not sure exactly how many of these pipes were made, but given that I can count the number I’ve seen on one hand, I presume it was not many.

The condition is very good. Just a few small scratches around the bowl. I’d be fascinated to see how this one looks once it begins to properly color, as it does not appear to have been smoked much at all yet.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm

Bowl Depth: 1.5″ / 38.10mm

Weight: 0.9oz / 28g