Peterson: Irish Made Army (606) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

Peterson's "606" is a straight Pot in typical Irish style, exemplifying the company's penchant for robust shanks and hearty proportions, while the thick insulating walls exude plenty of muscularity on their own. With a wide tobacco chamber, broad bowl dimensions, and a transition that emphasizes the shape of the bowl with subtle cheeking, it completes a unified composition that's full of stout substance and an impressive in-hand feel.

The Irish Made Army line from Peterson is devoted to the military mount. The construction requires a metal cap around the shank end and a stem devoid of tenon, the tapered base of the stem fitting directly into the mortise. The metal mount adds reinforcement to the briar, and the lack of a tenon ensures a snug fit unaffected by varying temperatures or years of wear. The design's lineage and moniker date back to WWI when soldiers would repair cracked shanks with spent shell casings, the extra durability also allowing them to break the pipe down at a moment's notice without fear of damaging the pipe while it was still hot. Practical and aesthetically handsome, the motif has lasted the better part of a century — showcased here in the smoky, smooth stain and flashy nickel mount of Peterson's Irish Made Army series.