Peterson Clay System Pipe: Question Asked, Question Answered

Did Peterson ever make a clay System Pipe?

dennisthemenace Knoxboard Location: Fort Wayne, IN USA
Answered: Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:08 am

"Ah yes, Peterson did indeed once make their famous system pipe in clay. I saw one in an Iwan Ries catalog around 1969 right after I graduated high school and started working for the first time in a tobacco shop, Churchill's of Birmingham (MI) which then had a shop in a Fort Wayne, IN mall. I asked about them when I visited the Peterson shop in Dublin on a 1973 visit; they told me that the clay pipes hadn't been made for about 10 years at that point. In 1978 I was in the Iwan Ries shop in Chicago & asked about them, and they still had a couple of them in a drawer so I bought one, similar to the one you purchased on e-bay but w/ a rounder billiard bowl. I think it was about $20 at that time. I still have it & like it for trying new blends as the clay imparts little flavor of its own, other than a slight earthiness which has diminished in time. It seems we have some real collector pieces here, as I've never seen any others, and I've worked in several tobacco shops in three different cities, and visit them wherever I go."

Editor's note: I have known Dennis to be a knowledgeable and reliable source. In fact, he might have very well sold me my first real pipe in Erlich's of Boston some twenty plus years ago.

Addendum: The original poster learned thathis clay pipe was made in England at the Peterson factory on White Lion St. Until the late 60's & were "quite plentiful at the time."