Peterson: Ebony Spigot (B42) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

In 2009, Peterson released the Darwin "B42" shape in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. The English naturalist's seminal work was published in 1859, just 17 years before another Charles would join Fredrick Kapp in founding the longest-standing pipe manufacturer in the world: Kapp & Peterson. The "B42" is a robust bent Apple, displaying an Author-like substance through the shank and transition that exemplifies Peterson's signature aesthetic — a perfect homage, to both Charles Darwin and Charles Peterson himself.

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 Ebony finish, the flashy, regal metal is paired to a glossy, black stain for a thoroughly classy dress pipe aesthetic.