Peterson: Cara Sandblasted (268) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

Though it's not a shape you readily see everyday, Peterson does a fine job of pulling off a lovely Zulu interpretation with their "268" offering. With its subtle bend, forward canted Dublin bowl, and gentle transition, the classic form exudes grace and poise. It's an under-represented shape chart standard that — while traditionally seen from English, French, and Irish marques — seems to have an inherent Danish influence, due, in part, to the lack of hard lines, substituted for a languid bend and easy-curling transition.

The Cara series from Peterson presents the classic ebony and silver dress pipe motif. Like a formal tuxedo, the black finish is contrasted elegantly by a sterling silver band at the shank end, the crisp flash of silver accentuated further by the stummel's sandblasted texture. The Irish marque is renowned for its use of sterling — an accenting material that's been intertwined with pipemaking for over a century — and each silversmith spends years mentoring under the factory's senior craftsmen, having developed a decades long tradition of quality silverwork. The Cara series, named after the Irish word for "friend," boasts the classic, stylish aesthetic all at an impressively accessible price point for silver-accented pieces, making for a true smoking companion.