This is just the second O shape Pete I have ever found, and just like the first, this one is also barely smoked!

The O shapes were the first iteration of an extra large or house pipe in the Peterson catalogues. They were produced between 1896 and the late 30s, if my memory serves me right. There were 3 shapes available — O1, O2 & O3 — with the O1 being one of Charles Peterson’s personal favourite shapes.

Now when I say barely smoked, I mean the pipe was smoked more than just a couple of times, but looking at the original stain, chamber, and stem condition, I would be very surprised if it was smoked more than 10–15 times.

Dating the pipe was quite straightforward — most people consider the Patent Era to end when the switch to the Irish Free State COM stamp happened in 1922. Until 1915/1916 the pipes had no COM stamps, but then the “Made in Ireland” block stamp was used until 1922, and then again officially in the 40s.

There is an extra detail on this pipe which might help us speculate a bit more and possibly narrow the range: there is a Peterson System stamp on the back of the stem, which I have seen almost exclusively on Free Irish State era pipes — well, at least until now… So if I had to speculate, I would say this pipe was manufactured close to 1922. For me, the most logical year would be 1921.

Another interesting thing is the briar quality. The Grade 4 was a lower grade, and even though briar quality was generally a lot better 100 years ago, I would still expect multiple and more noticeable flaws — and I don’t see any of those on this pipe. I mean, there are some minor bumps or scratches, but I have seen Grade 2 pipes with obviously worse quality.

The flaws and wear marks are so minor that I didn’t have to touch sandpaper to any spot on the surface, leaving the stain 100% authentic.

The pipes go through one final check before shipping, so if you notice any inconsistencies in the carnauba finish or smudges they will be taken care of before your pipe is shipped to you.