PIPE Peterson THE HISTORY
To the south of Dublin, where the metropolis has already taken on a suburban appearance and the ends of the Wicklow Mountains seem to be reachable, there is the site of one of the oldest pipe factories in the world: Peterson of Dublin. The company is still called "Kapp & Peterson " today in memory of the founders, the brothers Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp from Nuremberg. The two Germans opened a smoking shop, called Kapp-Brothers, in the elegant Grafton Street in 1865. of Dublin. At approximately the same time, the Irishman Charles Peterson began producing briar pipes and in 1890 discovered the famous reservoir system. This is a reservoir in the stem under the head that has the task of keeping the tobacco dry. All the moisture – that's the goal – is channeled into the reservoir. Charles Peterson showed up at the two Germans' shop with this revolutionary invention, for which he was later awarded two gold medals in London, and shortly afterwards the foundation stone was laid for the creation of the Kapp & Peterson company.
The shapes of Peterson pipes - the traditional ones are the curve, the Army and the Silver Spigot - have changed little in the last hundred years and continue to remain highly coveted internationally. Mark Twain and many other writers were admirers of the Peterson system.
Although Ireland is not a typical Pipe -smoking country, Peterson are as purely Irish as Guinness, Irish music and Irish stew. Opposite Trinity College, at the end of Grafton Street, there is the Peterson shop whose assortment does not only include the house's products. A substantial part of Peterson pipes is still made with the palatal mouthpiece which, with the exception of the German company Vauen, is almost no longer made by any other manufacturer.
Peterson currently offers around 80 different shapes - including some foam pipes - mostly classic in style. Many are named after Irish counties, islands or cities and the rustic pipes give the impression of being as rough as the Cliffs of Moher. In the meantime, the English manufacturer 'Duncan Briars' has also joined the company, for which however few examples are manufactured. Peterson pipes are offered in any quality and at any price. Fine models frequently have silver-gilt or even gold rings applied to them, and when they are exported to certain countries, the stove is not treated with charcoal dust. The Pipe lover can therefore immediately ascertain that the wood is free of defects even in the internal part of the Pipe . Alongside the various series such as Antique or Old English Collection, Peterson also manufactures a line of pipes called Sherlock HolmesPeterson . The pipe series have now become a coveted collector's item.
After numerous changes of ownership, the company was managed for years by Jim Nicholson - the only one in the sector to have risen from the position of worker to that of manager - who handed it over to Tom Palmer in 1994, who set himself the objective of preserve tradition and at the same time comply with market needs. Some stages of production are carried out by other enterprises except silver work. In Dublin we are particularly proud of the fact that this craftsmanship continues to be carried out in the Peterson factory.
In 1998, six new Pipe models were presented for the first time which differ from the classic style and which are strongly similar to Danish shapes. The Kapp & Peterson company seems to represent today's Ireland which, with a mix of traditional and modern elements, has achieved a stable economic position in the European Union.
Models:
system series
• standard system • De Luxesystem (Smooth, Natural); • The Charles Darwin Pipesystem (Smooth, Natural).
Classic Series
• ARAN ; • killarney • Wicklow; • Sterling Silver (Sandblast, Smooth); • Flame Grain; • Silver Cap (Sandblast, Natural); • Dublin Natural; • Grafton; • Royal Irish Natural; • Celtic Ebony; • Rock of Cashel; • Black Rock; • Kapp Royal; • Irish Made Army; • Army Red; • Army Brown; • Green Spigot; • Sandblast Spigot Black; • Red Spigot; • Black Spigot.
Special Series
• Lady Pipes (Calabash, Belgique, Tankard, Barrel); • Dalkey; • Christmas Pipe 2011; • Sports; • Out-Door; • Dear Black; • Ebony&Ivory; • churchwarden ; • The Antique; • The Writers Collection; • The Antiques Collection; • The Irish River Collection; • The Castle Collection; • Pipe of the Year (2007-2008-2009-2011); • Sherlock Holmes • The Return ofSherlock Holmes (Smooth, Dark Red, Rustic); • The Adventures ofSherlock Holmes .
