Peterson: Aran Smooth Nickel Mounted (128) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

Originally designated as the "D16," the "128" bent Dublin is one of Peterson's more classically proportioned shapes. It forgoes the Irish marque's signature style of robust proportions, trading their oft-seen muscular shank and transition for a more slender, sinuous form. The "D" line was first produced for the Irish marque's Danish distributor, Larsen and Peterson, around 1996, focusing on traditional Danish shaping and featuring shapes that are more slender and elegantly curved than the hearty Irish style of Peterson's other pieces. In the "128" bent Dublin, that aesthetic is manifested by a bowl that flicks upward from out of the heel and flares conservatively in a forward cant for a dynamic, sleek profile. Certainly a shape worthy of consideration for those drawn to Peterson's historic reputation and who want a more streamlined shape-chart standard.

One of Peterson's most traditional finishes, the Aran presents a color palette of chocolatey stain and jet-black stem. In the smooth iteration, it highlights the briar's natural grain pattern with handsome reservation — not distracting from the form's shape yet, at the same time, offering enough definition and detail to remain intriguing and individual, accented here with a flashy nickel band to add some formal panache and elegant appeal.