Peterson: SPC 20th Anniversary Sandblasted Spigot Silver Cap (999) Fishtail (1/80) Tobacco Pipe

Defined by a Bulldog bowl and round shank, the Rhodesian is a classic shape that's enjoyed a place on traditional pipe charts for well over a century. On Peterson's chart, the age-old form is designated as the "999," showcasing everything pipesmokers love about the traditional shape — hard lines around the bowl; a tapering rim; and a stout, muscular disposition in hand — while also boasting the Irish marque's conventional shaping cues. The bowl tapers above and below the design's defining beadlines, while the rim barely rises above the transition thanks to the extra heft lent to the shank — a signature stylistic element of Peterson.

2020 marks the 20th year since Sykes Wilford founded Smokingpipes.com. To commemorate such a milestone, we've partnered with numerous pipemakers to release several projects throughout the year, the first of which is Peterson's SPC 20th Anniversary line. As this is a deeply personal endeavor, Sykes wanted the series not only to showcase the tradition and quality of Peterson's manufacture but represent pipes which he himself found interesting and attractive. Thus, he decided that Peterson's contribution to the Smokingpipes 20th Anniversary project would be accented with silver — silversmithing being so core to Peterson's identity — as well as showcase the quality of the marque's recently revamped sandblasting process, which now follows an approach similar to that of artisan pipemakers but on a larger scale to accommodate higher rates of production. Using this new process, Peterson produced 3,000 pipes during the time we were sourcing for the 20th Anniversary line. Out of those 3,000 stummels, Sykes handpicked 80 pieces that met certain criteria: He wanted blasts that were especially dense, deep, and craggy — reminiscent of early 20th century English and Irish pipes. This piece is one of the 80 total Peterson SPC 20th Anniversary pipes produced, stamped with its serialized number and our special 20th Anniversary logo. It boasts Peterson's superlative silverwork, in the form of a spigot mount arrangement; of the 80 pipes made, 10 were further adorned, like this one, with sterling silver rim guards. It also comes complete with a black pipe bag custom made by master leatherworker Claudio Albieri, emblazoned with both the Peterson and Smokingpipes logos. Join us in celebrating 20 years of Smokingpipes with this limited edition Peterson pipe, and be on the lookout throughout the year for our other exciting 20th Anniversary projects.