Dracula Rusticated (268) Fishtail Tobacco Pipe

Though it's not a shape you readily see everyday, Peterson does a fine job of pulling off a lovely Zulu interpretation with their "268" offering. With its subtle bend, forward canted Dublin bowl, and gentle transition, the classic form exudes grace and poise. It's an under-represented shape-chart standard that — while traditionally seen from English, French, and Irish marques — seems to have an inherent Danish influence, due, in part, to the lack of hard lines, substituted for a languid bend and easy-curling transition.

One of the Irish marque's most striking and colorful series within their standard fare, Peterson's Dracula line draws inspiration from Bram Stoker's classic novel to offer a color palette worthy of the Count himself. Here, a jet-black rustication adorns the bowl coinciding with the inky swirls overtop the blood-red acrylic stem. A regal band of bright nickel separates stem from stummel and juxtaposes an elegant appeal against the rest of the piece's spooky aesthetic — similar to Dracula's own aristocratic, yet horrific nature. Like Peterson's Sherlock Holmes series, the Dracula line is a worthy homage to historic literature from one of the pipe industry's most historic marques.