Peterson 999 | Made In Ireland - Collector's Piece Pipe (1915-1922)

Available by Offer - From My Own Collection

 

Brand: Peterson

 

Although some sources describe the stamping with "Made In" on top and "Ireland" below as having been "used in every period", the main element that narrows the pipe you are looking at to the years 1915/16 - 1922 is the fishtail-tailed P. It is a common view that the P with the forked tail was not used after 1922.

On production after 1949, and up until the 1980s, you see the stamp "Made In Republic of Ireland" rather than "Made In Ireland". This shows that the pipe you are examining was made "at the latest" in 1949. However, since this style of stamping had been in use ever since the Patent era, it covers a very wide date range.

The confusing part is "Peterson of Dublin & London". This is not a standard stamping and was only applied in the pre-Republic period. According to most opinions these were the highest quality pipes Peterson made at the time, and they sold for 15 dollars, five times more than the average pipe price of 3 to 3.5 dollars. Although there are claims that this stamp was only applied between '47 and '49, the forked-tail P may confirm that it was stamped earlier as well. 

In short, the pipe you are examining most likely dates to between 1915/16 and 1922; at the latest to between 1947 and 1949. 

Sources:

https://pipedia.org/wiki/Peterson

https://petersonpipenotes.org/186-was-the-dublin-london-petersons-supreme-line/

 

https://petersonpipenotes.org/232-the-new-made-in-ireland-stamp-and-why-its-important/

https://thepetersonpipeproject.blogspot.com/2007/07/dating-peterons-pipes.html

https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/peterson%E2%80%99s-dublin-london-made-in-ireland-999.85332/

http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/logo-peterson.html

 

Model: 999

Filter: Filterless

Mouthpiece: Ebonite | P-lip

Length: 13 cm

Height: 4 cm

Bowl Diameter: 2 cm

Bowl Depth: 3.5 cm

Weight Without Mouthpiece: 40.5 g

Total Weight: 55.5 g

 

Briar Quality

 

Very Poor
Poor
Good 
Very Good
Excellent ✅

 

Shank: Quite clean.
 

Draft Hole (Air Hole): Dead center of the bowl and "almost" flush with the bottom. The gap is not worth mentioning.
 

Bowl Cleanliness: Reamed very well and symmetrical.
 

Condition: 8/10
 

Mouthpiece: P-lip
 

Flaws: None.

 

Score: 10/10

 

Comment: If I have to judge it not as a collector's pipe but simply as a pipe, all I can say is "wonderful". I was amazed at how the P-lips made in that period let me hold even a pipe this heavy comfortably between my teeth. On top of that, when held this way it sits perfectly on the face and keeps its form.