There is a long established company in Ireland that many people claim produces some of the best smoking pipes in the world. This company is called Kapp & Peterson Limited, and they are located at a place called, Sallynoggin in Co. Dublin, Ireland.
German And Latvian Influence
This pipe business grew from a Dublin tobacconist shop started by Friedrich and Heinrich Kapp in 1865. Their elegant shop soon gained a good reputation for selling some of the best blends of tobacco and the finest, handmade premium cigars. They also had a small workshop at the back of the shop where they both made and repaired smoking pipes – mainly in briar or meerschaum.
After a few years in business; the Kapp brothers were approached by a Latvian immigrant by the name of Charles Peterson; who told them of his revolutionary ideas about improving the smoking qualities of pipes. The Kapps liked what they saw and soon took on Peterson as a full partner in the business. Peterson called his invention the “Dry System” for pipes and it was granted a patent in 1894. As all too many pipe smokers know, liquid can collect in the bowl of a pipe while smoking; should this liquid get drawn up the pipe stem and into the smokers mouth an extremely unpleasant taste is experienced. Peterson’s dry system introduced a reservoir to catch any such liquid before it reached the mouthpiece.
The Kapp’s reputation grew with the addition of Peterson’s system pipes and the company is still making them today; along with another of Peterson’s designs known as the “P-lip” mouthpiece. This is intended to direct the smoke being sucked up the stem and through the mouthpiece; so as to exit upwards towards the roof of the smoker’s mouth; smokers say that this gives them a more pleasant taste than when the smoke hits the tongue first.
A Good Tobacconist Shop Blends Its Own
Like many “upper class” tobacconists of that time; Kapp & Paterson would purchase barrels of particular tobacco types and make up their own blends in their shop (either to their own; or to customers’ specific “recipes”); they also produced their own brand of cigars in a similar fashion. Today, it is difficult to say if they are more famous for their Peterson Pipe Tobacco or their P-lip System Pipes – both enjoy worldwide sales success; but, you are allowed to buy one without the other.