Description
About the Series
The Sherlock Holmes Rusticated line presents all their fabled, Sherlock-inspired shapes in a rugged, earthy rustication, accented by broad sterling silver bands and traditional, jet-black stems.
About the Shape
Originally released as part of Peterson’s Original Sherlock Holmes collection (1989-1991), this fully bent Rhodesian was designed by senior craftsman Paddy Larrigan from a sketch made by Peterson’s dear friend Mario Lubinski. A hybridised shape, it combines elements of the Oom Paul and Calabash and serves as a partner to the extra large, trumpeting Calabash of the Original, designed by Paddy in 1987.
| Length | 131mm |
| Weight | 83g |
| Bowl Height | 57mm |
| Bowl Width | 46mm |
| Chamber Depth | 48mm |
| Chamber Width | 21mm |
| Stem Material | Vulcanite |
| Filter | None |
| Shape | Rhodesian |
| Finish | Rusticated |
| Material | Briar |
About the Range
In 1987, Peterson released a special commemorative pipe to celebrate the 100th anniversary of A Study in Scarlet, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first novel in the Sherlock Holmes universe, originally published in the November 1887 issue of Beeton’s Christmas Annual. The pipe was a tubular, almost trumpeting Calabash shape: an XL version of the 305(b) System first designed by Peterson’s senior craftsman, Paddy Larrigan. That design is better known today as the Original.
Before his retirement, Larrigan went on to create the prototypes for each of the seven shapes in the Original Sherlock Holmes Collection, released between 1989 and 1991, all of which were inspired by people, places, or important artifacts from Doyle’s stories. Continuing with that theme, Peterson followed those first Sherlock Holmes designs with The Return of Sherlock Holmes line (1992-1997), ushering in an additional seven original shapes, as well as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series (2011), in which Peterson added an additional four signature models.
Collectively, these pieces would comprise one of Peterson’s most popular and sought-after series, one they still produce today in a variety of finishes, all banded with sterling silver and stamped with the series’ logo, itself inspired by a silhouette of Basil Rathbone with a 4AB System (Large Dutch Billiard) clenched between his teeth.
About Peterson of Dublin
In 1874, just one year after receiving a prize medal for his efforts at the 1873 London International Exhibition, German émigré Frederick Kapp moved his pipe retail operation from London to Dublin, Ireland, where he opened a new tobacco and pipe shop, making and selling pipes crafted from meerschaum as well as briar root, a relatively new material to the market. Within a year, Frederick employed a young Latvian woodworker named Charles Peterson to help with production and repairs.
In 1890, after 15 years of handling and repairing multitudes of pipes, and thinking critically about how to improve their design, Peterson applied for and secured a patent in his own name, titled “A certain new and useful improvement in Tobacco-Pipes,” introducing a unique system designed to wick moisture away from the smoke and deliver a fuller tobacco flavor – a design he would continue to improve over the next eight years. By 1896, after winning two gold medals at the International Tobacco Trades Exhibition in London for “Best Finished Pipe” and “Best Patent Pipe,” Charles Peterson, together with Frederick’s son Alfred Henry, had transformed the small pipe shop and smoking parlour into a budding international export factory, introducing the patented System pipe, as well as a host of other Classic designs, to the hands and minds of enthusiasts worldwide, where Kapp & Peterson has remained for generations.
As the oldest continuously operating briar pipe factory in the world, the pipe makers at Peterson have a certain tradition to uphold, a legacy of craftsmanship dating back over 150 years. Whether you’re browsing for your very first pipe or are a seasoned collector in search of a rare gem, know that every pipe in their catalogue carries with it that same preservation of tradition. A Peterson pipe isn’t just a utilitarian tool; it’s a piece of history you can carry with you in your travels, a faithful companion to accompany you through all that life offers.
