Peterson: Barley Spigot (150) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

Peterson's "150" straight Bulldog is a pert, upright rendition that fits in perfectly with the Irish firm's characteristically muscular shaping style. It's quite the forthright take on the classic English shape, but in keeping with the marque's tradition, it features an incredibly robust, crisp diamond shank. The bowl wears a set of well-defined beadlines and displays a firm heel underneath, though it remains a touch leaner than other, more squat renditions of the shape, making the "150" an ideal choice for those who prefer a taller, trimmer style of Bulldog bowl.

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.