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| Probably the most popular and famous range in the Peterson stables. All come with the famous P-lip | | Probably the most popular and famous range in the Peterson stables. All come with the famous P-lip |
| stem. Prices start at around $80 for the basic standard and up to $400 for the large hand made House | | stem. Prices start at around $80 for the basic standard and up to $400 for the large hand made House |
| pipes. | | pipes. For additional information see [[A closer look at the famous Peterson Standard System Pipe]]. |
| *Standard | | *Standard |
| *Premier | | *Premier |
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| The new 2010 Christmas pipes are now available in the Classic shapes and can be sourced world | | The new 2010 Christmas pipes are now available in the Classic shapes and can be sourced world |
| wide, from approved Peterson distributors. | | wide, from approved Peterson distributors. |
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| ====A closer look at the famous Peterson Standard System Pipe====
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| [[File:System2.jpg|thumb]]Perhaps the most notable design from the Kapp and Peterson factory was Peterson's famed 'Dry
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| System' pipes. The original patent was issued in Great Britain and Ireland on Aug. 8, 1890,
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| Featuring a small reservoir intended to collect moisture before it reaches the smoker, the 'System
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| Pipe' makes for a cool smoke that minimizes tongue bite, the bane of every pipe smoker. Indeed, it
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| is on this ground breaking design that the worldwide reputation of Peterson grew.<br>
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| In '''1898''' another of Peterson's innovative pipe inventions became available and was also patented.
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| the Peterson-Lip (P-Lip) mouthpiece, designed to offset the inhaled smoke to the roof of the
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| mouth,thus avoiding tongue bite.<br>
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| The famous P lip stem incorporated into the system pipes mouthpiece directs the smoke flow
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| through a small hole at the top of the stem to the roof of the mouth.
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|
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| Generally when pipe smokers get together and discuss the system pipes they are divided as to
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| whether they like or dislike them,in particular the P lip stem which has many detractors. The main
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| criticism being that in directing the smoke to the top or roof of the mouth, this can become tender
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| and sore after a while through the concentration of hot smoke.<br>
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| The cleaning and maintenance of the System pipes also appears to be problematic to some pipesters.
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| Often the criticism is in regard to the 'infamous' pipe cleaner test,ie can a pipe cleaner be passed
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| down the stem opening and out the opposite end easily and without obstruction. Of course smaller
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| pipes are more problematic than the larger ones,coupled to the stem shape being more angular in
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| full bent examples. I have never really found this to be too much of a problem as I will use the
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| smaller finer pipe cleaners such as those made by Falcon,which seem to pass easily.
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|
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| Personally I enjoy my System Pipes, to me they epitomise the true essence of Petersons heritage
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| and style. Being a habitual clench-er I find the P lip ideal 'anchorage' for dangling from my
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| mouth,particularly as the majority of my pipes are bent s. I suspect that the majority of my weekly
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| pipe smoking activity is with 'Systems',I love em!<br>
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| The Peterson System pipes are the standard bearers of the Peterson pipe family, famous for the
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| excellent smoking pleasure they provide.
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| Often imitated but never equaled, the Peterson System smokes dry, cool and sweet, thanks to the
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| scientific effectiveness of the original design. The heart of the System is the unique graduated bore
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| in the mouthpiece. This makes the suction applied by the smoker 15 times weaker by the time it
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| reaches the tobacco chamber. The result is that all the moisture flows into the reservoir and, thus
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| cannot reach the smoker's mouth.
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|
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| The Peterson Lip further enhances the effectiveness of the graduated bore by directing the flow of
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| smoke upwards and away from the tongue. This achieves a uniquely even distribution of smoke and
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| virtually eliminates any chance of tongue-bite or bitterness.
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|
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| Furthermore, the shape is contoured so that the tongue rests comfortably in the depression under the
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| opening. Each "P-Lip" mouthpiece is made from Vulcanite.
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| <gallery widths=400px heights=350px>
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| File:System1.jpg|An illustration from a 1905 catalog showing the two design features. The draft holes are exaggerated, especially in the center stem illustration.
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| </gallery>
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| For the Peterson System pipes to work properly, the stem/tenon has to have an extension, the tip of
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| which will pass by the draft hole from the bowl and into the sump. Upon the smoker drawing in
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| smoke, this extension then directs the smoke down and around the sump to dispense a lot of the
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| moisture before the smoke enters the extension and stem. On the System Standards and other less
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| expensive systems, this extension with be made of Vulcanite turned integrally with the stem. On the
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| more expensive System pipes this extension will be made of metal which screws into the Vulcanite
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| stem. This extension on the earlier pipes will be of brass and the newer pipes will be of aluminium.
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| Most smokers not knowing this function of the metal extension, assumes that it is a
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| condenser/stinger and will remove it as they do with the metal condensers of Kaywoodie, etc.
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| Should you have a System pipe with this metal extension, do not remove it for it will make the
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| System function properly and give you a dryer smoke.
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|
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| Another feature of the Peterson System pipe that helps in removing moisture is the stem itself. It
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| will have a relatively small draft hole entrance at the extension which will open out rapidly and then
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| closes back down near the bit. Of course these varying diameters have smooth transitions. The idea
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| behind this is; the smoke leaving the smaller diameter and entering the larger diameter will expand
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| and slow down, thus dropping more moisture before entering your mouth.
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|
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| To some people the cleaning of system pipes can appear to be problematic,in fact they are in most
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| cases easy to clean. A pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol will do a fine job of removing any dried
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| tobacco juices in the mouthpiece or shank. If there is any difficulty with the pipe cleaner accessing
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| the narrow P-lip,I would suggest using the finer narrow pipe cleaners made by Falcon, which are
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| still widely available. The sump pit on a system pipe can be cleaned with a Q-Tip swab or piece of
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| rolled up paper towel, likewise preferably dipped in alcohol before use. If you suspect the sump pit
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| contains a significant amount of liquid, remove the mouthpiece, dump the liquid, and reassemble.
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| I would recommend running a pipe cleaner down the stem, as far as it will go, immediately after
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| finishing a bowl, but disassembly and thorough cleaning can wait until the next day or any other
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| convenient time.
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|
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| Most of the standard systems are made from good quality briar. All are fitted with nickel mounts
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| and army style mouthpiece. There are fourteen models to choose from, with a choice of highly
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| polished or rustic finish. Nearly all are bent s,except for one straight model (Reference 31).
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| As well as the traditional Walnut finish,there are also additional colour choices with Red and Ebony.
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| I have included some photos of examples from my own collection to help illustrate the diversity of
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| shape and finish of choices available.
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| ==Why choose a Peterson Pipe?== | | ==Why choose a Peterson Pipe?== |