The Peterson Sherlock Holmes Series

The Peterson Sherlock Holmes series is a body of large-volume briar pipes the Dublin maker launched in 1987, dedicated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective. According to records, the series' starting point was the hundredth anniversary of A Study in Scarlet, the novel in which the detective first appears; the single pipe prepared for that anniversary quickly became the seed of a programme that grew into two sets of seven.

It ranks among Peterson's most widely distributed series by sales volume.

Shared Features of the Series

The series' naming logic is tied to Doyle's texts from start to finish: the shapes take their names from characters, locations, and objects that became symbols of the stories. On the form side, three constants tie the two sets together. The first is size: every shape belongs to the "XL" class, meaning the bowl is noticeably wider than Peterson's standard chambers. The second is material and craftsmanship: the bowls are cut in Ireland from Mediterranean-sourced briar. The third is the hallmarked sterling silver band joining mouthpiece and bowl; the detective's profile silhouette is stamped onto the band.

The one structural choice left to the buyer is the mouthpiece; the same shapes are offered both with Peterson's own P-Lip mouthpiece and with a straight fishtail cut. Finishes were not confined to a single line either: alongside smooth-polished and black bowls, rustic and, on some shapes, sandblasted surfaces are recorded, and a limited number of meerschaum examples have also been catalogued. It is reported that the same shape family was also offered as a second-tier line called "Kinsale," without the silver band and with a plainer finish; independent confirmation of this line has not been found.