Peterson: System Spigot Sandblasted (305) P-Lip Tobacco Pipe

Perhaps the most iconic of all Peterson shapes, the "305" Calabash is the System version of the cherished "05" design. It features a bowl flaring trumpet-like at the rim, a high transition to the shank, and a shank that is wide, muscular, and substantial in hand. Its wide base and smooth curvature, along with its easy-to-grasp, cinched waistline, have been prominent features admired by generations of smokers. Among Peterson's oldest and most popular shapes, the "305" epitomizes the Peterson design aesthetic, especially with the added benefit of the Irish marque's patented System engineering.

Peterson's System pipe is one of the Irish marque's most celebrated and historic innovations, boasting patents dating back to 1890. The System comprises three aspects: an army mount, internal condensation reservoir, and the graduated bore P-Lip mouthpiece (though Peterson does offer fishtail versions to accommodate smokers' preferences). Being the only externally visible of the three components, the military mount allows the pipe to be broken down even while hot, reinforcing the shank. Here, the added durability is thanks to regal sterling silver, with the added benefit of silver reinforcement about the tenon in a spigot mount arrangement. The other two parts, the internal reservoir and graduated bore, are found within the pipe itself — both working in tandem to remove moisture from the smoke. Such a construction requires a slightly different process when cleaning a System pipe, and results in a more flavorful, drier smoke. Dating back over a century, Peterson's spigot mounts are among the best exhibitions of the Irish marque's quality silverwork — such silverwork having informed Peterson's identity to nearly the same degree as the System pipe. In the System Spigot line, those two definitive Peterson elements are on proud display, combining the marque's renowned System engineering with their superlative silverwork. It's a testament to the company's influence on the pipe industry at large, and the System's continued popularity over the past 100-plus years bespeaks the company's reputation for quality, with this particular example dressed in a concise sandblast and dark, formal stain.