Peterson Bent Apple stem question

I have received and returned 2 Bent Apple pipes recently because the draft drilling was in the upper third of the briar stem. The mouth piece is centered properly, but the drilling does not align with the hole in the mouth piece. The hole is instead in the top wall of the briar stem. Just received a 3rd Peterson Bent Apple that is drilled exactly the same. I don't see how this pipe could possibly draw correctly.

Is this normal for a Bent Apple, and is this normal for a Peterson Bent Apple?

Does it pass the pipe cleaner test? Others will know a lot more than me but could it be its done this way to allow it to line up properly beings its a bent? I would think Peterson quality control would be pretty strict.

Deano said:

Does it pass the pipe cleaner test? Others will know a lot more than me but could it be its done this way to allow it to line up properly beings its a bent? I would think Peterson quality control would be pretty strict.

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Some have been saying their QC is spotty at best, lately.

A cleaner will not pass thru assembled.

The light colored circular area at 6 o'clock is the center of the stem. The hole (dark circle) is actually in the top part of the stem at the 12 o'clock position.

It has to do with the angle the draft hole needs to be drilled to hit the bottom of the chamber. For some of the shapes it's imposable to drill a straight line that intersects at the center of the mortise.

Commander Quan said:

It has to do with the angle the draft hole needs to be drilled to hit the bottom of the chamber. For some of the shapes it's imposable to drill a straight line that intersects at the center of the mortise.

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This is the truth. Likely nothing wrong with your pipe.

Mine looks to be the same way and smokes very well. I bet the one you're seeing is the moisture reservoir. Mine has it.

This common with the Peterson System pipes. There is an intentional "well" in the stummel for moisture to collect and try to keep it out of your mouth and out of the bowl. The pipe cleaner test may or may not work. That doesn't mean it will smoke poorly or it is made incorrectly.

These are all characteristics of the Peterson System pipes.

View attachment 502289

ctr's pipe isn't a system pipe, and that's not a intended chamber.

A lot of the Peterson shapes are designed so that the pipe can be fitted with a stem that accepts the European 9mm filter, that's why the tenons, mortises, and shafts, are so big compared to other carvers. These wide mortise enables the carver to drill the draft hole at an angle that would be imposable with a more standard mortise shape. An unintended consequence is that there is a large portion at the bottom of the mortise that the small draft hole doesn't flow seamlessly into.


Ignore the System part of this pipe and look at where the draft hole intersects the mortise below the stem. That is the reason why the draft hole is off center and high.

A tip for you to be able to pass a cleaner in a Peterson pipe with a decent bends in the stem is to put a slight bend in the tip of the cleaner. Pass it in and gently twist it to find the new angle to the bottom of the bowl. Works like a charm for me on all of my Petes.

My Peterson 03 is like this. I've never been able to pass a pipe cleaner through it, but it smokes great.

My new Peterson Kinsale XL14 will not pass a cleaner no matter what, which is a bit worrisome being there is no real bend to it.

+1 My "System Standard" (302) is exactly the same. Smokes great!

The pipe is drilled correctly for the design, I have several of them and they smoke well, I don't need to run a pipe cleaner to the bowl during a smoke because I never have moisture issues (gurgling) while smoking one, I will admit that some of my system pipes did require slight modifications (chasing the airway with a 5/32" drill bit and chamfering the tenon tip) to get them smoking optimally, still Peterson pipes are a lot of pipe for money. Their higher end pipes do seem to be better engineered though. If you get a gurgle in a system pipe usually one strong draw will clear it up, drawing the moisture out of the stummels airway and into the well, one should be careful not to tip the pipe back too far while smoking though, you may get a nasty surprise if collected moisture in the well gets into the stem.