Peterson: Newgrange Spigot (124) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

With its tall, poised bowl, hint of forward cant, and well-balanced proportions, this "124" Dublin from Peterson is easily one of the most svelte shapes to come from the Irish marque. It's highly reminiscent of their "268" Zulu design, but here the bowl is noticeably elongated and a touch more upright with more depth added to its chamber. The lack of hard lines and elegant proportions result in an impressively refined take on the classic form, departing from the stout, muscular shaping style typically associated with the historic Irish firm.

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. Presented here in the Newgrange finish, the flashy, regal metal is paired to a cumberland-hued acrylic stem, the red hues echoed by the smooth rim, and contrasted against the stummel's dark-stained sandblast.