Thursday 23 December 2010

Irish Bog Oak (Morta)Pipes?

Irish Bog Oak (Morta)Pipes?

I have watched these pipes with interest for some time,often seeing them being auctioned on e-bay.
Mike Leverette also highlighted them in his article "A Peterson Dating Guide".
Mike referred to them as follows-
"Also during World War II, Peterson again made bog oak pipes and again, this was due to the shortage of briar. They had previously ceased production of bog oak pipes in the 1930s during the Irish Free State Era. On the subject of bog oak pipes, Peterson's bog oaks will always have a metal band with either an amber (early production only) or vulcanite stems and will have the appropriate COM stamp. As with their clay pipes, Peterson offered a silver or nickel band on their early bog oak pipes of the Patent Era and just a nickel band on their WWII bog oak pipes".
It has been suggested that the type of Bog Oak similar to the one in my photo was produced  in association with Peterson as a contracted out cottage industry.Hence no collar adornments of silver or nickle.
I am not convinced,as I believe that the recent specimens for sale on e-bay, purporting to be Victorian are more likely to be modern replicas.
The carvings appear to be too good to be true in their crispness,after 100 years even if only lightly smoked I doubt that they would be in such good condition.Other than the carvings which are the usual Irish tourist symbol's,there are no other identifying marks.Here are also some examples of similar Tourist wares,a 'Cauldron pot' and a 'Pen holder'.I leave you to make up your own mind?









4 comments:

  1. I fear you are right. My bubble has burst. No apologies needed Jim.

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  2. Excellent and very informative, Jim. Thanks for the info.

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  3. i also have one of these but a different design more shamrocks and more bumps on the stem and is old old old still trying to find out if it is 1865-1875 Peterson but there is no other pipes i have found to be from Peterson from that time period any one know where to find a product line of thees kinds of pipes?

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  4. and is it possible that thees bog oak pipes may have had a mouth piece that was detachable? made from amber. slip on slip off. i could understand how some might not like the taste of the wood it is very odd but is not scratch-able by nail and with metal it takes a lot of pressure to indent on it i think it could stand that kind of time if it was properly taken care of.Who ever made the one i have was a master pipe maker for sure

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