Kapp & Peterson of Dublin is the world's longest-operating pipe workshop, and while the Irish marque's techniques and processes have evolved with modern technologies, its foundational shaping style, quality craftsmanship, and iconic innovations have remained stalwart for over 120 years.

In 1874, Frederick Kapp opened a tobacco and pipe shop in Dublin, and within a year, he employed a young Latvian woodworker named Charles Peterson. During his first years with the Kapps, Peterson made and repaired briar and meerschaum pipes, thinking critically about how to improve their design, and between 1890 and 1898, Peterson secured patents for his pioneering System pipe design. Not only did the Peterson System pipe become the Peterson pipe, it informed Peterson's entire identity, influencing the marque's overall shaping style and signature Irish aesthetic of muscular shanks, tubular designs, and generous bends. Since the time of Charles Peterson, Kapp & Peterson has continued to elevate their reputation with a host of other series, all inherently affected by the System pipe but offering their own distinct styles and features.

Because of such a vast portfolio, choosing a first, second, or even third Peterson pipe can be a daunting task. To help narrow that selection, we've listed our top 10 best-selling Peterson pipe series with detailed overviews of their characteristics and the shapes offered within each line. Explore the array below, and appreciate the renown of Peterson for yourself.

Top 10 Best-Selling Peterson Series:
1. 10. Irish Made Army
2. 9. Donegal Rocky
3. 8. Irish Harp
4. 7. Deluxe System
5. 6. Dracula
6. 5. Dublin Filter
7. 4. Churchwarden
8. 3. System Standard
9. 2. Sherlock Holmes
10. 1. Aran

10. Irish Made Army

The military mount, or army mount, is a storied pipe construction, and Peterson has been making army-mounted pipes since the 19th century. Traditionally, an army mount consists of a metal cap reinforcing the shank face with a tapered stem base that's pressure-fitted into the mortise. Such a construction ensures a tight stem fit even with wear to the tenon and also allows the mouthpiece to be removed while the pipe is still warm without fear of damaging the shank. According to tradition, the military mount gained popularity and earned its moniker during WWI when soldiers would prolong their pipes' lifespans by fitting the shanks with spent shell casings, repairing prior cracks and preventing future damage when breaking down the pipe in a hurry. Peterson's Irish Army series celebrates this iconic pipe feature, presenting an array of shapes in a smooth finish and classic, mahogany stain — each fitted to a flashy, nickel military mount. For those who appreciate the utilitarian aspect of the army mount but prefer filters, Peterson also offers the Army Filter series, essentially a 9mm-filtered version of the Irish Made Army line.

• Finishes: Smooth
• Shapes: 101, 102, 106, 107, 120, 150, 160, 406, 508, 606, 608, 68, 69, 80s, 86, 999, XL90
• Stem Material: Acrylic
• Filter: None

9. Donegal Rocky

When Peterson debuted their Donegal Rocky series in 1945, the line represented the Irish marque's first selection of rusticated pipes, adding a distinct texture to the Peterson portfolio alongside smooth and sandblasted finishes. Since that time, the Donegal Rocky has defined Peterson's recognizable rustication style, offering a dense and craggy texture — reminiscent of the mountainous Irish county for which it's named — in a distinct, two-tone stain that balances rugged charm against the refined flash of elegant nickel accent bands.

• Finishes: Rusticated
• Shapes: 01, 03, 05, 106, 107, 120, 124, 127, 128, 15, 150, 22, 221, 264, 268, 306, 338, 406, 408, 6, 606, 608, 65, 68, 69, 701, 80s, 86, 999, B10, B5
• Stem Material: Vulcanite
• Filter: None

8. Irish Harp

Peterson's Irish Harp pipes offer a unified color palette between stem and stummel, drawing focus to the line's defining accent: a sterling silver band etched with the Celtic harp, cláirseach in Irish — one of Ireland's most iconic symbols. Introduced in 2002, the Irish Harp line matches warm, mahogany-stained stummels to stems of cumberland-hued acrylic, the two aspects separated by a sterling silver band. Peterson is renowned for its silverwork, each accent hand-applied by the workshop's most experienced smiths, and Irish Harp pipes are among Peterson's most accessibly priced silver-accented offerings.

• Finishes: Smooth, Sandblasted
• Shapes: 03, 05, 106, 107, 150, 264, 406, 606, 608, 68, 69, 80s, 999, B10, XL02
• Stem Material: Acrylic
• Filter: None

7. Deluxe System

The Deluxe System series distills Peterson's history and identity into one, singular line of pipes, comprising engineering patents dated to as early as 1890. Three distinct aspects define Peterson's System pipe — a military mount, an internal condensation reservoir, and the graduated bore P-Lip mouthpiece — and all combine to promote a smooth, dry smoking experience that has earned renown from pipe smokers for over 100 years, and continues to do so. Though Peterson's Standard, Premier, and Deluxe versions all feature the System pipe's three defining elements, the Deluxe System is differentiated by select-grade briar and a space-fitting stem. This mouthpiece is fitted to a sterling silver military mount but features a gap between the stem's saddle and the shank face, evocative of old-school System pipes. Such a feature, while never patented, is a prominent Peterson innovation, the space between the mount and stem base gradually decreasing with prolonged use and extending the lifetime of the mouthpiece. Furthermore, the Deluxe System showcases Peterson's "chimney" design: an aluminum fitment that extends the tenon past the chamber's airway and into the condensation reservoir for optimal System performance. The Deluxe System line is the preeminent Peterson System pipe, personifying the Irish marque's legacy and proving its time-trusted engineering prowess.

• Finishes: Smooth, Dark Smooth, Sandblasted, PSB
• Shapes: 11FB, 11s, 12.5, 1s, 20FB, 20s, 2s, 3s, 5s, 8s, 9s, B42, XL5s
• Stem Material: Acrylic, Vulcanite
• Filter: None

6. Dracula

Despite its theme, Peterson's Dracula series isn't a limited-edition, annual Halloween release; rather, it's a standard, regular-production line begun in 2012 to honor Irish author Abraham "Bram" Stoker — the man behind Dracula. Charles Peterson and Bram Stoker were actually contemporaries, though involved in dramatically different fields, with Stoker's magnum opus being published just seven years after Peterson acquired the first patent for his System invention. The Dracula series celebrates such Irish influence and creativity with a color palette befitting the line's inspiration, pairing a dark-stained stummel with a flashy nickel band and a swirled acrylic stem of midnight-black and blood-red hues.

• Finishes: Smooth, Sandblasted
• Shapes: 01, 03, 05, 106, 150, 221, 306, 606, 68, 69, 80s, 87, 999, X105, XL02, XL90
• Stem Material: Acrylic
• Filter: None

5. Dublin Filter

Peterson has offered filtered pipes in some form or another since 1947, and the Dublin Filter series has comprised the Irish marque's filtered selection since 1997, with the Army Filter line expanding the selection in 2021 — each pipe within the line drilled to accommodate a 9mm charcoal filter. Typically, when a pipe maker features filtered versions of their standard shapes, some designs must be slightly altered for wider drilling; however, Peterson's signature, muscular aesthetic hews toward robust shanks and transitions, making for a more seamless crossover between the Irish marque's filtered and non-filtered renditions of the same shape. Maintaining a reserved and timeless presentation, Dublin Filter pipes wear a traditional, mahogany stain, with subtle accenting flash offered by twin nickel rings.

• Finishes: Smooth, Rusticated
• Shapes: 01, 03, 05, 106, 107, 120, 150, 221, 408, 6, 606, 68, 69, 80s, 87, 999, B10, B11, XL02, XL90
• Stem Material: Vulcanite
• Filter: 9mm

4. Churchwarden

Modeled after the old, clay tavern pipes of yesteryear, Peterson's Churchwarden line was first introduced in 1945 and features a number of shapes fitted to long, willowy stems. Such a sleek and slender aesthetic contrasts against the Irish marque's usual style of hearty, muscular designs; however, Churchwardens are beloved for the relaxed smoking posture they promote, the stem length allowing for minimal movement while smoking and cooling the smoke as it travels from chamber to bit. It's for this reason that many prefer to smoke Churchwardens while reading — the German language even translating "Churchwarden" to Lesepfeife, literally, "reading pipe." Slender, comfortable, and lightweight, Peterson's Churchwarden pipes might not look like others from the Irish marque, but they're equally classic and highly practical.

• Finishes: Natural, Smooth, Green, Ebony, Rusticated
• Shapes: D15, D16, D17, D6, Barrel, Belgique, Calabash, Tankard, Dublin, Prince
• Stem Material: Vulcanite
• Filter: None

3. System Standard

As mentioned above when detailing Peterson's Deluxe System pipes, the Irish marque's signature System engineering comprises three distinct aspects: a military mount, an internal condensation reservoir, and the graduated bore P-Lip mouthpiece, all combining to promote a smooth, dry smoking experience. The System Standard line is the perfect introduction to this innovation, trading the Premier System and Deluxe System's sterling silver army mounts for one of nickel — providing the same elegant flash and durability but at a more wallet-friendly price point.

• Finishes: Smooth, Heritage, Sandblasted, Rusticated
• Shapes: 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 31, 312, 213, 314, 317, B42, XL315
• Stem Material: Acrylic
• Filter: None

2. Sherlock Holmes

When it was first released in 1987, Peterson's Sherlock Holmes series was intended only as a one-off design commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet. The shape was a trumpeting Calabash shape, something of an XL version to the modern 305 System pipe, designed by Paddy Larrigan, the Irish marque's senior craftsman at the time, and that shape is now known as the Original. Two years later, though, Peterson decided to expand the line, and Larrigan designed six additional shapes to accompany the Original. Eventually, 18 total shapes would be created through 2011 to comprise the complete Sherlock Holmes collection, with each design named after a person, place, or iconic item related to Doyle's stories. Today, the Sherlock Holmes series is among Peterson's most celebrated and collectible offerings, available in a variety of finishes accented by bands of sterling silver.

• Finishes: Supreme, Natural, Dark Smooth, Terracotta, Ebony, Sandblasted, PSB, Rusticated
• Shapes: Baker Street, Baskerville, Deerstalker, Hansom, Hudson, Lestrade, Milverton, Mycroft, Original, Professor, Rathbone, Squire, Strand, Watson
• Stem Material: Vulcanite
• Filter: None

1. Aran

Among Peterson's most traditional and affordable series, the Aran was released in 1965 and offers pipes in a classic, dark brown stain fitted to a black stem for timeless appeal. Aran pipes are designed to be reliable and rugged workhorse smokers, fit for any occasion and lifestyle with some commended further by an elegant, nickel accent band.

• Finishes: Smooth, Rusticated
• Shapes: 01, 03, 05, 106, 107, 120, 124, 127, 128, 15, 150, 221, 230, 264, 268, 304, 306, 338, 406, 408, 53, 6, 606, 65, 68, 69, 701, 80s, 86, 87, 999, B10, B11, X105, X220, XL02, XL90
• Stem Material: Vulcanite
• Filter: None