A celebration of the Irish marque's accomplishments in pipe making and creative innovation, Peterson's Pipe of the Year (POY) has been a highly anticipated annual release since its inception in 1997. These pipes are pulled from their 150-year archive of shapes and styles, serving as a view into the storied past of the brand and connecting collectors to the brand's rich tapestry of tradition.

The Irish marque has now released their Pipe of the Year Archive Collection, featuring seven distinctive POY designs in an array of finishes, ready to join your personal collection. Each pipe in the line features a sleek stem of black vulcanite and an elegant band of silver at the junction, keeping the palette of these resurrected silhouettes timeless and refined.

"Essentially, these are shapes that were Pipes of the Year in the past. What we find is that the Pipe of the Year is our most anticipated release of the year," says managing director Josh Burgess. "And this series revives those shapes and celebrates them again in faithful renditions of the original releases."

Peterson's Archive Collection: Collector's Unique Opportunity

The Archive Collection is a timely opportunity. "There are some collectors who look back in our archive and see pipe shapes that they would have been interested in buying, but maybe they came out before they were collecting, or before they were a pipe smoker, or they simply missed out on them the first time that they were available," says Josh. "We are reviving those shapes and making them available to an audience who missed out on them when they were first released."

Josh remembers the 2000 Pipe of the Year as an example. "I was a high school junior in the year 2000, and I wasn't smoking a pipe yet. Someone like me is going to have an opportunity to purchase that Pipe of the Year within this collection. The shapes are faithful renditions of how they were when they were originally released. But, of course, the finishing techniques, the rustication, and the stains are very much modern as we're using them on our regular production pipes today."

Rare Natural Selections & Favorites

These pipes are dressed in an array of finishes, including one in a Natural finish: the 2018 design. "In order to be Natural, they have a very light stain on them. In order to use that sort of stain, the pipe has to be both grain-rich and free from flaws. And that's not an easy combination to come by," says Josh. "You will sometimes find a pipe that doesn't have many flaws, but it also doesn't have very good grain. Or, on the other hand, you will find a pipe that has nice grain, but it has some flaws. And so to find both of those characteristics in one bowl, cleanness and good grain, that's pretty rare."

Of the pipes featured in the collection, Josh's personal favorite is the one from 2011. "I think that was a unique and interesting shape. We don't have a lot of those, but it felt very classically Peterson to me. It was also different in that it had those panels. So that's probably my favorite in the collection. And then those Naturals from 2018 are real standouts too."

The Archive Collection comprises an array of shapes spanning seven distinct Pipe of the Year designs: 2000, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2018. These pipes were intentionally selected as key representatives of the POY series. "We thought that this was a pretty good summation of the Pipe of the Year series and that these were some key shapes that people remembered. When people think back on the Pipes of the Year from that era, these were shapes that were particularly remembered," says Josh.

2024 Pipe of the Year: Coming Soon

As for the upcoming Pipe of the Year for 2024, Josh reveals a few teaser details. "The 2024 Pipe of the Year is going to be something pretty special. It's a pipe that's been designed fully in-house by Giacomo Penzo. It's going to be something that Peterson collectors haven't seen since the 1990s. It'll be a new shape, and I think it's going to be a little bit of a surprise."

We have assembled a round-up of each of the Pipes of the Year that are available in the Archive Collection, on-site now.

POY 2000

• Shape: B13
• Finishes: Rusticated, Sandblasted

2000's POY bent Dublin design is rendered in either rusticated or sandblasted iterations. This shape boasts a thick, subtly tapering shank in a lifted, diamond-shaped configuration. A regal mount pairs the stummel to a slender, curved stem. The shank and stem marry the bowl at a tight transition and nicely balance some of its weight, its walls resting on a firm heel and flaring gently toward a rounded rim.

POY 2002

• Shape: B15
• Finish: Standard Smooth

2002's POY design is a Rhodesian, first issued within this limited-edition POY. It's a bold, neoclassical take on the timeless design with a muscular, Apple-like bowl. A rounded heel and lower walls flare subtly to a mid-set waist marked with twin beadlines. An accent carving in between those beadlines is striated through the smooth-finished briar. The upper walls taper to a flat rim as the shank and stem ebb from a wide transition out back. The shank is short and rather trim, pairing to a slender saddle stem.

POY 2010

• Shape: B43
• Finish: Rusticated

2010's POY design is an angular and sturdy bent Billiard in an earthy rustication, with a visual center at the lower bowl, its walls standing on a flattened heel and flaring to a low-set waist before starting a slight, forward-urging taper to the rim. A tight transition pairs to a short shank lifting to meet the curved stem.

POY 2011

• Shape: B54
• Finish: Standard Smooth

The 2011 POY features a paneled, stout bent Pot design, keeping a nice balance in hand. The bowl's robust muscularity is further elevated by firm paneling, standing on a rounded, sweeping heel with fluid curvature at the underside. This subtle plumpness contrasts the sharp ridges and sextet of panels that outline the upper walls' easy taper to the rim. A wide transition out back gives way to a gently lifted shank and demurely curved, tapering stem whose junction features dual silver accents, regally complementing the stummel's warm, grain-defining smooth finish.

POY 2012

• Shape: B61
• Finishes: Rusticated, Sandblasted

The 2012 POY paid homage to a classic Diplomat shape, featuring a masculine aesthetic that is a hybrid of a Diplomat and Pot with a stout body. This bent Pot's transition is wide, making way for a subtly lifting, ovoid shank with a slight angle that poises the demurely curved saddle stem. The shank's thickness balances the bowl's muscular build, which stands on a slightly jutting heel supporting its thick walls as they taper gently to the rim. This design is available in rusticated or sandblasted iterations.

POY 2014

• Shape: B65
• Finishes: Rusticated, Sandblasted

2014's POY is a stout, muscular take on the archetypal Billiard. It has a thick shank and a slender saddle with an expansion ring at the base, which affords this pipe some added practicality. The bowl stands on a rounded heel and grows tall, straight, and cylindrical walls that rise to a flat rim. This design is dressed in an ebony colorway and is presented in either a rusticated or sandblasted finish.

POY 2018

• Shape: D23
• Finishes: Rusticated, Standard Smooth, Natural, Sandblasted, Sandblasted PSB

2018's POY archival design highlights a sinuous outline, poised for clenching and comfort while smoking. The transition is tight as the shank curls out back, arcing toward the stem. The heel is slightly pointed while the bowl's walls flare up to a high-set waist marked with twin beadlines. This pipe's stummel offers plenty of space to showcase its assortment of finishes: a red-hued rustication, standard smooth, Natural, sandblasted, or a special sandblasted PSB.

The Peterson Archive Collection is available as of Wednesday, May 22nd at 6:00 p.m. ET. See one you've been searching for to complete your collection? Secure your piece of Peterson history and enjoy the exquisite smoking properties that represent over 150 years of innovation.