Petersons

[Tsal]

I always blame the user before the tool. In the case of Peterson it's nine times outta ten the opposite. If you want a Falcon just buy one. I like gimmicks just as much as everyone else does... lol

Gimmick pipes make me feel empowered. And a Space Agey. I feel like I'm back in 1965.

Space Agey is that mid century era vibe. I'm with ya...

[Legion]

As I only have one Peterson I'm no expert but I love it. It's a Calabash.

Mine also has the same issue. It must be said that I don't smoke a pipe in a conventional manner. Usually I load just enough for several puffs for my nicotine hit & put it down. Before bed I clean the 'plug' at the bottom, which is a bit stinky by then & only affects the taste of the baccy if the plug gets moist.

I've tried those nording keystones that Houtenzial mentioned but they didn't work for me. From memory it let in too much air but that could have a lot to do with packing technique.

It took me a while to get comfortable with my Peterson. Certainly get a Falcon because it's good to have at least 2 pipes so they can be rested but it's worth persevering with your Peterson until you get the hang of it. Good luck.

[whitebriar]

i think Ted's right on target--
the only gurgler i have ever had is a Barling that is bored so perfectly according to popular thinking that it is remarkable--it gurgled the first smoke and every smoke since--
that pipe is the only gurgler i have ever had--wish it weren't that way--it's a really nice looking rough finished billiard--but it's really a pain to try to smoke--i'll hang on to it and hope i find an answer to it's problem--

[xrundog]

I have a slightly different take on System or Well pipes in general. I've owned quite a few as I really like the look. But they always smoke wet for me. I also like to tap out ash as I'm smoking and end up dumping the well into the stem (blech!). But the real problem is that I like to puff away. It generates moisture. Usually so much that the well overflows and I end up sucking tobacco juice. I've smoked full bent pipes without the well and got along okay. It's the way I smoke, not the pipe. Millions of satisfied Pete customers are proof of that.

[MikeDennison]

Reading through this thread reminds me of how stinkin' little I know about pipes. No comments, just admiration for those who've been able to figure all this stuff out.

[Houtenziel]

Reading through this thread reminds me of how stinkin' little I know about pipes. No comments, just admiration for those who've been able to figure all this stuff out.

The honest truth is, that "figured out" is kind of subjective in pipe smoking. There are so many variables at play that it's still just a guess. Tobacco moisture, relative humidity of the area you usually smoke, your packing method, how much pressure you use to tamp, ambient temperature, draw force and frequency.. they all influence your experience. Most of these variables lie outside those actually presented by the pipe itself, and probably have a much more drastic effect than a slightly high, narrow, or wide draft hole. Hence why a guy in Arizona can smoke SG flakes straight out of the tin in a bent billiard with a 2mm airway, and if I did that here in rainy Oregon I would be slurpin tobacco runoff... and that's assuming I could get it to burn.

[MikeDennison]

Reading through this thread reminds me of how stinkin' little I know about pipes. No comments, just admiration for those who've been able to figure all this stuff out.

The honest truth is, that "figured out" is kind of subjective in pipe smoking. There are so many variables at play that it's still just a guess. Tobacco moisture, relative humidity of the area you usually smoke, your packing method, how much pressure you use to tamp, ambient temperature, draw force and frequency.. they all influence your experience. Most of these variables lie outside those actually presented by the pipe itself, and probably have a much more drastic effect than a slightly high, narrow, or wide draft hole. Hence why a guy in Arizona can smoke SG flakes straight out of the tin in a bent billiard with a 2mm airway, and if I did that here in rainy Oregon I would be slurpin tobacco runoff... and that's assuming I could get it to burn.

Still...color me impressed! As you well know, I can smoke a gurgly pipe and have absolutely no freakin' clue!

[Legion]

Reading through this thread reminds me of how stinkin' little I know about pipes. No comments, just admiration for those who've been able to figure all this stuff out.

For far too long I did everything wrong with my Peterson. It was the only pipe that I had for several years. The poor thing was flogged day in, day out, without a rest. I took the stem off while it was still hot so often, that it's as loose as a street walkers hoo-haa. So loose in fact, that I had to wrap plumbers tape around the tenon to get a tight fit (Since been rectified with FIVE coats of clear nail polish)
It's a solid pipe & I doubt that many other brands or a more delicate pipe would've stood up to the punishment.
Since purchasing more than a few pipes for my rotation, the Peterson is getting a well earned rest to dry out.

Embarrassed at my complete lack of knowledge, I've been doing quite a bit of reading recently & have educated myself on the basics. Like not taking a stem off while it's hot for example, lol.

[Houtenziel]

For far too long I did everything wrong with my Peterson. It was the only pipe that I had for several years. The poor thing was flogged day in, day out, without a rest. I took the stem off while it was still hot so often, that it's as loose as a street walkers hoo-haa. So loose in fact, that I had to wrap plumbers tape around the tenon to get a tight fit (Since been rectified with FIVE coats of clear nail polish)
It's a solid pipe & I doubt that many other brands or a more delicate pipe would've stood up to the punishment.
Since purchasing more than a few pipes for my rotation, the Peterson is getting a well earned rest to dry out.

Embarrassed at my complete lack of knowledge, I've been doing quite a bit of reading recently & have educated myself on the basics. Like not taking a stem off while it's hot for example, lol.

Get a Pete with an army mount.. then you can yank that sucker out with reckless abandon.

[xrundog]

Almost all full bent pipes have high draft holes. It's really a necessity of the drilling angle that gives that result. Sure, there are exceptions, but it's very common. Mud works if it really bothers you.