A Unique Victorian Peterson Pipe.

A unique Victorian Peterson Pipe.

Occasionally I am amazed at the rare and unique Peterson pipes that surface on E-bay.

My old friend Chuck Wright recently drew my attention to a pipe which he had posted on his daily E-bay offerings in the International Peterson Pipe Club forum. Chuck knows that I have a particular weakness for the older Patent Pete's. The particular pipe that he had highlighted was rather unique.The seller had been very honest in regard to it's poor condition,having obviously been heavily used over the years. I considered that It was still worth a bid,even allowing for it's poor condition.So I went into my Shark mode and acquired it!.

When it arrived I gave it a thorough examination.

The hallmarks were English(Birmingham) and dated the pipe at 1893,(date letter T).I have seen a few patent Pete's over the years,however this example was a first for me.The most obvious characteristic was the magnificent silver fretwork which encased the briar bowl.Such skilled silverwork was typical Victorian high-end surface embellishment,typical of the time.It showed an intricate show stopping work of art through the antique floral and leaf decoration.

The stem was well worn and damaged and the case was a bit grubby.But hey! it is 119 years old!! I am happy with it, in that it is a very rare example of an art form, not normally associated with early Petersons and as such is a prime candidate for the Sandpiper Peterson Museum.