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Smokingpipes.com is pleased to share that its parent company, Laudisi Enterprises, will acquire Kapp & Peterson, Ltd., specifically the Peterson pipe factory in Sallynoggin and the Peterson of Dublin shop on Nassau Street. Sykes Wilford, President and CEO of Laudisi Enterprises, reflects upon the acquisition and what it means for the two brands.
Peterson is one of the most extraordinary institutions in pipe making today. With a history stretching back a century and a half, it has managed to evolve with the times while remaining very much true to its roots at the end of the nineteenth century. Each Peterson pipe signifies and conveys a rich history that began in 1865. There are few products in today's culture that resonate with that degree of historical significance, products of permanence, products imbued by the tradition of the craftsmen who make them, products informed by a rich and vibrant legacy. And yet that is Peterson's story—a story that I'm pleased and honored to perpetuate as the next steward for this august institution.
Peterson will now become a part of Laudisi Enterprises, the company I founded eighteen years ago. Laudisi is about pipes and pipe tobacco. I don't simply mean that it sells pipes and pipe tobacco, which of course is true, but that the very soul of the business is steeped in the product. There are plenty of companies that do something. They, as institutions, might even know a fair bit about it. But they don't love it. Institutionally, Laudisi Enterprises loves pipes. That love informs every decision we make. It's the reason that other serious pipe people like to work with us: we understand what they do; we share their passion. Peterson then, as an organization serious about its tradition, its history, and its pipes, is a rather perfect fit within the Laudisi tent.
So, what does this mean for Peterson and Peterson enthusiasts? For the pipes themselves, not much is going to change. The same people will continue to make the pipes at the same factory, using the same equipment. And while my skills as an oracle are somewhat rusty, there will likely be two sorts of changes to Peterson in the future. The first sort are the obvious ones: we'll help with technology, marketing, business processes and the like. The other is likely an increased bias toward Peterson traditionalism. Mining Peterson's rich history for new products is the sort of thing we've encouraged in the past (to wit: amber stems) and something I think we'll get excited about in the future. But, of course, these sorts of decisions will continue to happen on the ground in Sallynoggin, with input from us, much as they have in the past.
I approach the Peterson brand with reverence and with gratitude to those who have served it for the past century and a half, from Charles Peterson to Tom and Conor Palmer. Peterson, as an institution, is greater than any individual. What makes the company special is that the manufacturing is deeply rooted in a particular place, as part of a particular tradition of craftsmanship, with a particular institutional ethos. Today we here at Laudisi embrace and celebrate that legacy, and we turn a hopeful eye toward what lies ahead.
Comments
Bring back some of the Peterson Meerschaums!
When is the pipe of the year going to be released?
WOW!!! Congratulations Sykes, and the great people at Laudisi! WOW! When you all accomplish with Peterson what you've done in such a short time in our pipe world, the world will change - and dramatically for the better! And, now, finally, Peterson Pipes will finally be represented here by someone who cares! Godspeed!
Congratulation!
As a long-time collector and devotee of Peterson Pipes I hope you keep the same quality that they have exhibited over the years!
Shazam !!!!
Wow! Congratulations. Peterson is a unique brand in its history and strong identification with a particular place. Quality needs some work. Some recent products seem to have strayed from the traditional Pete brand. Make Pete Great Again! (Sorry😉)
Congratulations guys!! I am excited about what this means for the pipe world, and both business entities. I know great things are coming. Tradition preserved and perpetuated. Product and process improvements and greater access. Exciting!!
I hope now you'll bring a better attention on the choice of the briar....lately the Peterson pipes were really too bitter
great!bring back the beautifull 19th century clay and morta pipes.
by the way ,why don't we see real Cherrywood pipes on your site
a lovely smoky slightly sweet virginia
whats it about orlick?how can they produce such good blends at such a good price?
allright,i know its made in deutchland but if you want to know what made and makes british tobacco great ,try this
congratulazioni......
Muy bueno! The start of new traditions!
What wonderful news! I can't wait to see your inventory grow, and both companies prosper. Congratulations!
Being someone who always likes to dig a little deeper for the sake of knowledge, I've had a few exchanges with a gentleman out of Texas (that owns & operates a pipe restoration & repair shop), who claims Peterson's stummels are primarily pre-manufactered for them by a company in Italy these days. With all of the lack of transparency found in the tobacco industry, I have to wonder if it's Savinelli behind the majority of the work, especially so as you are the North American distributor already for Savinelli. This would all stand to reason that your acquisition of Peterson would just be a potentially good business move. However, that's only if you make some significant changes. I basically have written off Peterson as a "go to" brand (once drawn in by their quality products & rich history), as over the years of forking out hundreds of dollars for a single pipe kept getting me a product with issues in quality of briar, staining (or other finish), a non-centered draft hole, & stems that almost always had a dramatically noticeable over-twist to either the right or left (to top the list). If you will volunteer more information & address these issues moving forward, I might just be willing to give a recently manufactured Peterson another try.
Congratulations! I have been a Peterson Pipe smoker since the early 60's. Best wishes in the new venture.
Does this mean that smokingpipes.com will be the only online retailer to carry Peterson pipes?
Congrats!
A Pete was my first “real” pipe I bought at Barcley-Rex in NY. It’s still the only one I own due to poor pipe qualities. Hope you do indeed to make better Petes than what we’re made in the past!
@Drew We saw the 2018 in December of 2017, so I wouldn't think we'll see it before December, my friend.
@Linwood Hines @Tom Greene @Magic Piper @KevinM @Robert Earl @Marco Dezio @Robert Hall @Casca @Ironguy @Garrick Roshau
Thank you so much all for your lovely comments and congratulations. We realise the importance of Peterson and their place in the hobby, and will strive to earn the trust you've placed in us.
@PatriotPiper Not at all, and our biggest hope is that we can actually expand the amount of retailers carrying Petersons, especially within brick and mortar stores.
@Stephen Hi Stephen,
Just to address some of your concerns here; yes, Peterson outsource the turning of their bowls, though not to Savinelli. This has been their practice to some degree or another since when they were still in the St. Stephens Green factory (and even before that), so is still very much in keeping with the Peterson tradition.
All factory pipes are turned in frazing machines, it's what makes them factory pipes. Some complete that process in house, and some — like Peterson — outsource it. Everything else, from the drilling on tenons and mortises, through to sanding, staining, and finishing is completed in house, by hand, as it has been for 153 years.
Of course we intend to bring the same attention to detail to Peterson's manufacturing process as bring to our retail business, and hopefully we can regain your business in the future.
Thanks for writing, my friend. I hope your day goes well, and look forward to speaking to you again.
Cheers,
Adam
Congratulations to a great buy! Petersons with it's rich history has a unique potential. However, Peterson has A LOT to learn from Laudisi and Smokingpipes.com when it comes to customer service. When you e-mail Laudisi or Smokingpipes.com you immediatley get a very nice reply with answers on all your questions. When you e-mail Peterson questions about their products you don't even get a confirmation that they've recieved your message, and you will never recieve a reply. So I hope that The Laudisi Group will implement their excellent customer service at Petersons in the future (and sack the person in charge for this at Peterson now).
Congratulations! What an exciting new development. Peterson, with all its history and tradition, and Laudisi, with its great people and deep passion for pipes, deserve to be together. What a perfect match!
As always, the proof is in the pudding, but my history with Smoking Pipes has been absolutely positive. In over ten years, my expectations were always met. Congratulations, Sykes. Here's to the future.
This is fantastic news. Tom Palmer did a terrific job running Peterson for several decades. I have met Tom a few times and was always impressed by his business acumen, his friendliness and his passion for Petersons. I have known Sykes Wilford since he started in the business and cannot say enough good things about him -- not only his incredible competence but also his honesty and integrity. I read his statement (the one above) twice and know that it came from the heart, from his love of pipes and tobaccos. What great news for all of us in the hobby!
Congratulations Sikes and Co. this is awesome news. Do it right, go big, and conquer the world.
Congratulations to Sykes, Adam and everyone else involved! It will be fun and interesting to watch this new endeavor unfold.
I am looking for great thing out of Petersons in the future, best of luck. Bring back the rustication they used in the eighties please, it is one of my favorite pipes.
Sykes - I’m sitting on my back porch reflecting on my time in Sallynoggin and Dublin and what your extraordinary news could mean for Peterson. I think very good things are ahead. In that spirit I’m toasting you and the fine folks in Eire with an 80 year old Peterson & a glass of Green Spot. Slainte!
@Warren Wigutow: Thank you, Warren. I just got back from spending two weeks with them. There's so much great stuff going on there, and I think we can do a lot to facilitate it.
Interesting news . I'm really new to pipes , never heard of Peterson till last year . I have 4 now , including one from 1945 . They're all I smoke now . I need to pick up some more , so I can give these a rest . I'm looking forward to the future of Peterson !
The problem with one company slowly but surely gobbling up many others in the industry, is a natural lessening of diversity in products, and the fact that if the huge, monster company goes down, there aren’t many options left for the consumer to replace it. In my opinion, a sign of sad times ahead for pipe smokers.
Congrats this is huge.I am so happy for you!Peterson pipe was my very first briar pipe.This brand is still my favorite today.My hero Mark Twain loved them too.Congrats!
Besides bringing back some great vintage designs, I'd like to see more logo products than just the tobacco/pipe pouches. Bring back the hats, and maybe some T's and polo shirts?
Tim Bonine, we completely agree with you and it is currently in the works, stay tuned!
Is there any word on when Peterson tobaccos will be coming back on the market? University Flake and 3P are my favorite varieties to smoke on a regular basis, and they're impossible to find right now.
Bob W: Unfortunately, it could be be June before we see the return of the Peterson tobaccos. If you haven't already, I recommend signing up for the email alerts. On the right hand side of the product page, you will see a box that says "Email Me" and this will sign you up for a one-time in stock alert when we receive it in.
If you need a temporary replacement in the meantime, I have a few recommendations for you! Erinmore Flake and Cornell & Diehl Dreams of Kadath are both available and would likely help fill the void until the Peterson tobaccos are back in. Rattray's Wallace Flake and Gawith Hoggarth Brown Flake Scented are currently out of stock, but when they come back in those would be a good choice as well. These will lean a little more towards University Flake over 3 P's, 3 P's is a unique blend and it's a little harder to replace. They won't be exact matches, but I think you will enjoy them while awaiting Peterson's return. If you have any other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.
I hope you guys will work on the quality of the Peterson pipe. The quality has really gone down-hill. I am so glad some-one is in control that will care about quality. I am a Peterson fan but, had given them up, very bad drilling. Please, make Peterson great again!! Good Luck, Hutch
I was gifted a Peterson pipe lighter some years ago. Obviously, it is not made by them, but it has their moniker on it. And it is a fabulous item. The butane capacity is awesome, it does not eat flints--they last a long time. And while they do not self contain a pipe tool, as the more famous brand does, I would rather use my Languiole tool anyhow. Hope that you continue to make them available!!
Hello to everyone at smokingpipes, I just purchased a Peterson 1902 bent billiard from you on December 20 and I am expecting it to arrive on Christmas eve. I am so excited. my very best to all of you for your acquisition of the Peterson company.
by the way, since it is a Peterson patent pipe from 1902, I trust that it will have no fills and smoke very well. I really am so excited. congratulations again for all your fine work at smokingpipes.
I’m new to pipes after years of smoking cigars. I’ve graduated. I have already purchased 8 Peterson’s including a 1915 Patent from Gary Malmberg. Wonderful !!
It’s now about four years since Peterson became part of the SmokingPipes family, and the issues that it had before being acquired (finshes coming off, for example) are now, thankfully, a thing of the past. Peterson pipes are back to being what they were meant to be - affordable, well-made pipes that are a pleasure to smoke. Bravo, guys, bravo.