Welcome back to another episode of All Pipes Considered. Today I'm joined by John McElheny, one of our pipe specialists, to talk about something a little spooky: Peterson's Halloween pipes for 2026.

[Andy Wike]: Peterson's Halloween pipes are an annual release from the historic Irish marque, and they always do something interesting, special, and a little more experimental. We've seen the Dracula finish, or the Dracula stem color, come back a number of times. There was a Jekyll and Hyde finish one year, and last year's was an all-black, blacked-out pipe.

Dracula Acrylic, Turned Into a Mount

One of the things Peterson has been experimenting with lately, which we've seen on past St. Patrick's Day pipes and a few other series, is taking the acrylic used for stems and turning it in-house into mounts. That's the focal point of this year's Halloween series: the same red and ink-black swirled acrylic you find on the Dracula stems, now turned into a really cool army mount.

John, I know you're a big fan of horror, and of course, tons of pipes come through restoration every day. What are your thoughts on the line so far?

[John McElheny]: It's certainly different. On the Dracula series, the brilliant red and black coloration on the stem shifts the focal point of the pipe toward the back. Paired with the silver-colored mount Peterson often uses at the shank end, it's a different kind of flashiness. This is still flashy in its own way, but it's a little more subdued. It's a lot more contrast-rich, with the two inky blacks right next to this vibrant crimson.

A Gothic, Contrast-Rich Look

[AW]: That's a good point. It's a really neat buffer between the all-black rustication of the bowl and the jet black of the acrylic stem. Every pipe this year comes with a classic fishtail acrylic stem.

The rustication on this year's line is really dense and craggy, and it has a gothic look to it. Then there's that Dracula acrylic, with its inky, smoke-on-water, blood-crimson vibe. Every mount is a little different, so as a collector myself, I love being able to look through and see which pattern I like most, or which fits best with the particular shape I'm going for. It's another level of variety that I think collectors like me are going to be looking for.

The Blood-Red P

A little Easter egg I thought was such a cool detail: instead of the usual silver or gold P inlay, they did a red P. It's a small touch, but it ties everything together and makes the whole pipe look really intentional.

[JM]: I would tend to agree. The red P on the stems is such an understated touch. I'd seen these pipes about a week ago while preparing for this video, and I thought, "Oh, that's really interesting." It was only today that I noticed the blood-red P on the stems, and that sent it over the edge a little bit. It really is quite a neat release.

Attention to Detail

[AW]: It's been really fun to see this series evolve over the years, and to see Peterson keep playing with acrylic and other materials in interesting ways, like turning these military mounts in-house. They all have chamfered tenons, too, which is really nice. That attention to detail is what matters.

There's a wide range of classic shapes available this year, all with acrylic fishtail stems, really cool mounts, and that beautiful little red P that I think sends it over the edge. John, thanks so much for joining us.

[JM]: Absolutely.

[AW]: Guys, make sure to drop us a comment and let us know your favorite shape this year. We'll see you next time. Thanks for watching.