Peterson: Deluxe Classic Terracotta (68) P-Lip Tobacco Pipe

One of Peterson's more classically English shapes, the "68" bent Brandy serves as a curvaceous sibling to the "69" bent Billiard. The "68" features less of the Irish marque's signature style of stout shanks and hearty transitions, instead placing more emphasis on the bowl, with the rounded base and slight taper toward the rim softening the profile. The added briar at the base makes for a substantial in hand feel, and the tapering rim, stretching transition, and comparatively slender shank conform well to wrapped fingers. Fitted on the end of a lithe bend, it's a piece that's comfortable no matter how you choose to hold it, catering well to all smoking postures.

As the oldest continuously operating pipe factory in the world, Peterson often draws on its historic tradition to perfectly balance modern innovation with traditionalism, and the Deluxe Classic line embodies that approach, offering a series of pipes inspired by vintage aesthetics from historic Peterson catalogs. The Deluxe Classic range showcases extra-wide bands of sterling silver, and such a style is reminiscent of early-20th-century pipe design and indicative of Peterson's renowned metalwork, calling to mind patent-era Peterson pipes and creating a look that's classically Peterson in the same vein as many of their Pipe of the Year releases. Unlike those yearly editions, though, the Deluxe Classic series brings this retro motif to Peterson's regular-production lineup, limited only by the line's standards for briar quality. The luxurious silver accents combine beautifully with stummels selected specifically for their superior grain, with this example dressed in the smooth Terracotta finish — a rich, ruby-tinged stain that evokes the look of vintage pipes from the early 1900s. The Deluxe Classic series is one of Peterson's high-grade lines, composed entirely of non-System shapes but with many still featuring the patented P-Lip mouthpiece, lauded for distributing smoke evenly across the palate.