Peterson: Christmas 2023 Sandblasted (701) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

In Peterson's 1945 catalog, the Irish marque introduced four Speciality shapes: the Barrel, Tankard, Calabash, and Belgique. The line trades Peterson's conventional shaping cues for a slender, petite disposition, a stark contrast to the robust, muscular aesthetic that dominates the Irish firm's portfolio. These are the smallest, most lightweight designs Peterson has to offer, and they've been popular favorites over the past 70+ years, with many pipe smokers devoting them to flake tobaccos. Originally, the Tankard, presented here, forwent a usual, numbered shape designation, but in 2021, the svelte and streamlined take on the sure-sitting Poker became known as the "701" on Peterson's shape chart.

Peterson's Christmas Pipes have been an annual tradition since 2009, the Irish marque dressing a selection of their iconic shapes in appropriately festive fashion. In recent years, Peterson has accented this series with copper, though for 2023, they showcase the skill of their silversmiths by accenting the pipes with broad bands of intricately etched silver. These silver bands feature inset beadlines around the Peterson logo and provide a wealth of contrast against the stummel's finish. In addition to the fine display of silverwork, these pipes exhibit Peterson's talent in the blasting cabinet by dressing the stummel in a craggy sandblast that's been stained a deep, rich red: evocative of some of the earliest sandblasts to appear in the pipe world. What results is a finish that is utterly timeless, reminiscent of pipes crafted in the early 20th century and embodying an elegant character that's endlessly charming.