Peterson: Barley Spigot (102) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

Peterson's "102" Billiard is a remarkably petite take on the classic shape, its trim, well-balanced proportions presenting a more traditionally English-styled rendition of the timeless form. Similar to the marque's "6" Billiard in form, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, the "102" is one of the most diminutive straight Billiards offered by the Irish firm and noticeably forgoes their penchant for bold, muscular shaping cues. That being said, there's still a respectable amount of chamber tucked away inside, making it a perfect choice for those who favor briars of a more modest size.

Along with their signature shaping style, Peterson of Dublin is renowned for their silverwork. The journey of becoming a Peterson silversmith requires years of training and personal mentorship from the factory's senior craftsmen, and the superlative results testify to such a demanding, lengthy process — each worker having engineered his own mandrel to the extent that every metal accoutrement made is imprinted with the subtle, personal style of the one who machined it. Peterson's Spigot line was created in 1977, after discovering an old Peterson catalog from 1906 that pictured pipes with spigot mounts, and the series is among the best at showcasing the Irish marque's signature silver treatment, fitting sterling silver around both the shank end and stem base in a spigot-mount arrangement. The construction provides further reinforcement and durability and highlights even more sterling silver than would be used for a standard military mount. The Barley Spigot series was introduced in 2021 and is distinguished by a natural, virgin finish and crisp sandblast, employing stummels hand-selected for their cleanliness and consistency. Like any other wood or organic material, briar can present natural blemishes and imperfections, making virgin finishes rare, and the Barley Spigot series prioritizes bowls with as few impurities as possible, resulting in a true tanblast that reveals the wood's natural grain in handsome relief without stain. Such a finish accentuates the briar's natural color palette in tandem with the sterling silver's elegant sheen, and these pipes will develop a natural patina as they're smoked, darkening with character to contrast against the silver.