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I don't have as much problem with them getting wet but they are straight stemmed the savinellis are not I knew I preferred straight by the time I got the first one. Both pipes are really good brands for me
I only have one of each. I like them both. The Savinelli balsa filter system is controversial, but it does help a bit with moisture.
I have a Savinelli Trevi Rusticated 311 KS and a Peterson Junior Rusticated Nickel Mounted Acorn Fishtail. Both are great in their own way.
I’ve had hits and misses with Petersons but I’ve always had good experiences with savinelli. One Peterson I think everyone should have is a system standard. That I think I could take to a war and it come back with me in one piece. The rest are not necessary
Petersons are great, get a bent spigot system for that style and function factor. My best smoking pipe and my personal favorite.
Buy from smoking pipes, inspect the photos well because what you see is what you get. You can also return if you aren’t satisfied, as long as you didn’t smoke out of it yet.
I have a Savinelli, but have yet to smoke it yet. My only minor ding on it so far is that I don’t like how difficult it is to separate the stem from the shank. But it seems like a well crafted pipe. System pipes are easy to disassemble and etc. You don’t need to wait for the pipe to cool when cleaning post smoke and it comes apart easy.
Either way, these brands are popular for a reason, you couldn’t go wrong with either one. Buy what speaks to you. Pipes are an extension of our personality and yadda yadda
I've bought 14 Peterson pipes, and 5 of them had flaws bad enough that I either sent them back for refunds, or bit the bullet and fixed them myself (usually taking a few hours of my time to fix). The flaws have been varied, from egregious asymmetry, to terrible surface finish, to deep cracks in the bowl, to twisted stems that don't line up with the rim when aligned with the shank.
Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but I love Peterson's shapes, and I love fixing things. I'll continue to buy Peterson pipes, but I check out photos very carefully, and I have zero reservations about sending pipes back for refund.
I have 14 Petes too, I buy them vintage because they're just made better. I did buy a Peterson 303 Spigot, the bowl was off center. Stick with pipes made before 2000, the older you buy, the better the pipe. Happy Smokes!
I’ve had really good luck with Peterson lately. I’ve purchased maybe six in the last year and they’ve all been great. Reading some of the comments, maybe I lucked out?
I really enjoy my Peterson, but the mouth piece is looser than I’d like. I’ve had it disconnect while I was smoking and dropped it. Otherwise it’s the best pipe I’ve smoked with.
I have 12 of each.
Some of the cheaper smooth Savs have big ugly fills that stick out like a sore thumb. Bigger than any fill I’ve ever seen on a Peterson. But all are great smokers. Dry smokers that are drilled straight with good stems. I never met a Savinelli I didn’t like.
Out of the 12 Petes, 3 have issues that make smoking them a chore. All 3 are bent. All 3 are drilled too high, and 2 have twisted stems that don’t line up worth a damn. All bought online. I won’t buy another Pete unless I can hold it first. That said, I would probably buy another one because I love their shapes. And a Pete with a silver spigot, mount or band is just too gorgeous. And when they get it right, they’re fantastic smokers.
Personally I go Peterson if you’re not picky about larger pipes. I find Peterson’s quality and homage to their heritage to just be a step up, not massively so, but enough to sway me.
Not to say Peterson doesn’t offer larger sized pieces, but it’s much less common than Savinelli.
(If this seems like an oddly specific factor, I have huge hands, a .75” bowl is the *minimum* size I’ll consider)
Savinelli is definitely good for variety, they’re much more experimental regarding designs, materials, and sizes. Peterson (generally) is more traditional. I’m not a filter user so I can’t speak on their systems.
There’s no bad choice imo.
Peterson have some QC issues, especially with their bent pipes because drilling is complex even for artisan makers. I also think they rush their "limited edition" seasonal ranges. But they do use high quality materials and good briar. I've never had a Peterson with bland grain.
Savinelli have very good quality control. But in my opinion use lower quality materials like the thin plastic tenons and young briar. Just in my experience in colder weather all but one of my Savinellis have "shrunk" resulting in a loose stem which I can only attribute to young briar drying out. It has *never* happened with any other pipes I own.
My conclusion is if you compare a Peterson and a Savinelli at the same price point: the Peterson is a better pipe. But the likelihood of a Peterson having a flaw is higher. Easily resolved by buying the pipe in person or from a trusted retailer you're confident in returning a dud with.
I have six Savinellis and two Petersons. The first non-basket briar I purchased was a Sav, so I'm partial. I do love both of my Petes though. The first one I got was a model 80s bent bulldog, and that thing will not pass a pipe cleaner without disassembly. Four of my Savinellis are bent, and they all pass a cleaner just fine. If you never find that you need to use a cleaner mid-smoke to clear moisture, then that might not be an issue for you, but I find myself doing it once or twice with most smokes.
For this reason, I've decided that I will only buy army mount Petes unless I'm buying in person and can test that it will pass a cleaner without issues.
Savinelli punto oro over most Peterson pipes for sure. Or the autograph series by Savinelli.
Peterson System pipes are neat. But if you’re not going after a system then I’d say the punto oro quality is waaaaay better. I’ve own several punto oros and several Petersons as well.
Sample size of one here, but I was extremely disappointed with my Peterson. The hole in the shank is so far off center you'd think a 7th grader made the thing in wood shop. Draw is impacted negatively, and the pipe is difficult to smoke. I don't know if Savinelli will be any better, but I'll certainly try their pipes before I even consider buying another Peterson.
I have 20+ Peterson pipes and had zero problems. More than a few Savs, too, and they have been great, too. I definitely like the chonkyness of the Pete’s better, and the sandblast is generally better, too. If you get into Sav Autographs or Punto Oro they have great blast, but the basics are meh. Pete gives you a lot at a fair price; you can get a Peterson Harp for $110-120 and you get a quality acrylic stem in the cumberland style, a silver band, and (if you look the pipes over) most likely a good blast. For Sav, I’ll get a limited pipe in the low range—the Marco Polo’s and Leonardo’s are going cheap on SP.com—but, generally, I’ll spend a bit more for a Punto to get the better pipe.
I’ve owned somewhere around 15-20 petersons and didn’t have any qc issues. Of the 6 pipes I narrowed my collection down to over the years, 3 are petersons. Admittedly one is for sentimental reasons as I bought it on a trip to Dublin but the bent Mark Twain I kept is one of the best smokers I’ve had.
I've got more Petes than Savs, but quality(control) aint the factor for me. I just love Petersons shapes.
I guess with you just gotta get lucky. A lot pipes Petersons sell should have been seconds (shameful for the full price really), from what I see offered on Smokingpipes.eu on a weekly base.
But then again I've got a few pretty good smokers from their Irish Seconds line.
i don’t know of this is normal but i just bought a premium pete deluxe and the hole in the stummel from neck into the bowl was not completely drilled — don’t know if that normal or lot but struck me as odd
that said i used my pipe tool to punch through the paper thin wood that was left and it smokes excellently — it is premium
i would say the typical savinelli has a slightly upgraded more premium feel but then again i generally don’t use my savs — if im not teaching for a beater cob or a dunhill im reaching for a pete — and it happens often
they have charm
I've never smoked a Savinelli but I have had four or five Peterson's. I do feel that the briar they use is high quality. I bought another comparable price brand and the briar was much less dense. Needless to say it smoked hot and I ended up getting rid of it.
I prefer Peterson because I don't like messing with filters. If you can find a filterless Sav then that would be great. I know you can use an adapter or smoke without anything but my Sav smokes better with the balsa filters as intended. There is a lot of turbulence with the adapter and it won't pass a cleaner. Without the adapter, it's too wide open for me.
New to pipe smoking? See our frequently asked questions! **[read our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/wiki/index)** Please read and follow our subreddit rules (you will get temp/permeant bans for not following them) **[read the top sticky post](https://www.reddit.com/r/PipeTobacco/comments/b3b7e3/sticky_info_rules_sidebar_info_please_read/)** **Alternative Site: https://speak-easy.club/ , which the community started back in 2018 in response to Reddit's market ban. It's completely free, no ads, and fewer rules. Registrations are manually approved to avoid spammers, so please be patient waiting for approval, it's usually quick.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PipeTobacco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have 4 Petersons broke a 5th one and like them all better than my savinellis but it's close
What makes you like them better?
I don't have as much problem with them getting wet but they are straight stemmed the savinellis are not I knew I preferred straight by the time I got the first one. Both pipes are really good brands for me
I only have one of each. I like them both. The Savinelli balsa filter system is controversial, but it does help a bit with moisture. I have a Savinelli Trevi Rusticated 311 KS and a Peterson Junior Rusticated Nickel Mounted Acorn Fishtail. Both are great in their own way.
I have three Savinellis and one Peterson. All are fantastic. I've heard about the QC issues at Peterson, but mine is perfect.
I’ve had hits and misses with Petersons but I’ve always had good experiences with savinelli. One Peterson I think everyone should have is a system standard. That I think I could take to a war and it come back with me in one piece. The rest are not necessary
Petersons are great, get a bent spigot system for that style and function factor. My best smoking pipe and my personal favorite. Buy from smoking pipes, inspect the photos well because what you see is what you get. You can also return if you aren’t satisfied, as long as you didn’t smoke out of it yet. I have a Savinelli, but have yet to smoke it yet. My only minor ding on it so far is that I don’t like how difficult it is to separate the stem from the shank. But it seems like a well crafted pipe. System pipes are easy to disassemble and etc. You don’t need to wait for the pipe to cool when cleaning post smoke and it comes apart easy. Either way, these brands are popular for a reason, you couldn’t go wrong with either one. Buy what speaks to you. Pipes are an extension of our personality and yadda yadda
I was very disappointed with my Petersons purchase. I have two Savs and love them both. Couldn't ask for a better smoking pipe.
I've bought 14 Peterson pipes, and 5 of them had flaws bad enough that I either sent them back for refunds, or bit the bullet and fixed them myself (usually taking a few hours of my time to fix). The flaws have been varied, from egregious asymmetry, to terrible surface finish, to deep cracks in the bowl, to twisted stems that don't line up with the rim when aligned with the shank. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but I love Peterson's shapes, and I love fixing things. I'll continue to buy Peterson pipes, but I check out photos very carefully, and I have zero reservations about sending pipes back for refund.
I have 14 Petes too, I buy them vintage because they're just made better. I did buy a Peterson 303 Spigot, the bowl was off center. Stick with pipes made before 2000, the older you buy, the better the pipe. Happy Smokes!
I have like 6 of each, both brands rock
I’ve had really good luck with Peterson lately. I’ve purchased maybe six in the last year and they’ve all been great. Reading some of the comments, maybe I lucked out?
Yeah, seems quite a few people had issues. Guess it's better to get Peterson's from a B&M so you can inspect before purchase.
I really enjoy my Peterson, but the mouth piece is looser than I’d like. I’ve had it disconnect while I was smoking and dropped it. Otherwise it’s the best pipe I’ve smoked with.
Just happened to me this week. The bowl fell on our aggregate patio and dented the rim 🤦♂️. Still my favorite pipe
I prefer Savinelli.
I don't have a petersen but I have a Savinelli and I ADORE it
Me too. My 645ks has been awesome.
I have 12 of each. Some of the cheaper smooth Savs have big ugly fills that stick out like a sore thumb. Bigger than any fill I’ve ever seen on a Peterson. But all are great smokers. Dry smokers that are drilled straight with good stems. I never met a Savinelli I didn’t like. Out of the 12 Petes, 3 have issues that make smoking them a chore. All 3 are bent. All 3 are drilled too high, and 2 have twisted stems that don’t line up worth a damn. All bought online. I won’t buy another Pete unless I can hold it first. That said, I would probably buy another one because I love their shapes. And a Pete with a silver spigot, mount or band is just too gorgeous. And when they get it right, they’re fantastic smokers.
Personally I go Peterson if you’re not picky about larger pipes. I find Peterson’s quality and homage to their heritage to just be a step up, not massively so, but enough to sway me. Not to say Peterson doesn’t offer larger sized pieces, but it’s much less common than Savinelli. (If this seems like an oddly specific factor, I have huge hands, a .75” bowl is the *minimum* size I’ll consider) Savinelli is definitely good for variety, they’re much more experimental regarding designs, materials, and sizes. Peterson (generally) is more traditional. I’m not a filter user so I can’t speak on their systems. There’s no bad choice imo.
My 301 system is far and away my favorite pipe to take off the rack.
Savinelli will be more expensive i feel. But my first pipe was a b 010 peterson. still a favorite of mine
I have both and love both. From what I have heard on other forums, the QC started to improve after Laudisi took over
Peterson have some QC issues, especially with their bent pipes because drilling is complex even for artisan makers. I also think they rush their "limited edition" seasonal ranges. But they do use high quality materials and good briar. I've never had a Peterson with bland grain. Savinelli have very good quality control. But in my opinion use lower quality materials like the thin plastic tenons and young briar. Just in my experience in colder weather all but one of my Savinellis have "shrunk" resulting in a loose stem which I can only attribute to young briar drying out. It has *never* happened with any other pipes I own. My conclusion is if you compare a Peterson and a Savinelli at the same price point: the Peterson is a better pipe. But the likelihood of a Peterson having a flaw is higher. Easily resolved by buying the pipe in person or from a trusted retailer you're confident in returning a dud with.
I have a Savinelli Fantasia pipe. It's my favorite.
I have six Savinellis and two Petersons. The first non-basket briar I purchased was a Sav, so I'm partial. I do love both of my Petes though. The first one I got was a model 80s bent bulldog, and that thing will not pass a pipe cleaner without disassembly. Four of my Savinellis are bent, and they all pass a cleaner just fine. If you never find that you need to use a cleaner mid-smoke to clear moisture, then that might not be an issue for you, but I find myself doing it once or twice with most smokes. For this reason, I've decided that I will only buy army mount Petes unless I'm buying in person and can test that it will pass a cleaner without issues.
Good to know. Thanks man!
Savinelli punto oro over most Peterson pipes for sure. Or the autograph series by Savinelli. Peterson System pipes are neat. But if you’re not going after a system then I’d say the punto oro quality is waaaaay better. I’ve own several punto oros and several Petersons as well.
Sample size of one here, but I was extremely disappointed with my Peterson. The hole in the shank is so far off center you'd think a 7th grader made the thing in wood shop. Draw is impacted negatively, and the pipe is difficult to smoke. I don't know if Savinelli will be any better, but I'll certainly try their pipes before I even consider buying another Peterson.
Bummer to hear it. I know they have a large following of fans. I have a Savinelli already, and it's been fantastic.
I have at least ten Petersons. No issues. Ditto many Savinelli.
I have 20+ Peterson pipes and had zero problems. More than a few Savs, too, and they have been great, too. I definitely like the chonkyness of the Pete’s better, and the sandblast is generally better, too. If you get into Sav Autographs or Punto Oro they have great blast, but the basics are meh. Pete gives you a lot at a fair price; you can get a Peterson Harp for $110-120 and you get a quality acrylic stem in the cumberland style, a silver band, and (if you look the pipes over) most likely a good blast. For Sav, I’ll get a limited pipe in the low range—the Marco Polo’s and Leonardo’s are going cheap on SP.com—but, generally, I’ll spend a bit more for a Punto to get the better pipe.
I’ve owned somewhere around 15-20 petersons and didn’t have any qc issues. Of the 6 pipes I narrowed my collection down to over the years, 3 are petersons. Admittedly one is for sentimental reasons as I bought it on a trip to Dublin but the bent Mark Twain I kept is one of the best smokers I’ve had.
I've got more Petes than Savs, but quality(control) aint the factor for me. I just love Petersons shapes. I guess with you just gotta get lucky. A lot pipes Petersons sell should have been seconds (shameful for the full price really), from what I see offered on Smokingpipes.eu on a weekly base. But then again I've got a few pretty good smokers from their Irish Seconds line.
i don’t know of this is normal but i just bought a premium pete deluxe and the hole in the stummel from neck into the bowl was not completely drilled — don’t know if that normal or lot but struck me as odd that said i used my pipe tool to punch through the paper thin wood that was left and it smokes excellently — it is premium i would say the typical savinelli has a slightly upgraded more premium feel but then again i generally don’t use my savs — if im not teaching for a beater cob or a dunhill im reaching for a pete — and it happens often they have charm
Savs and petes get returned more than any other brands, but there's still some good ones
I've never smoked a Savinelli but I have had four or five Peterson's. I do feel that the briar they use is high quality. I bought another comparable price brand and the briar was much less dense. Needless to say it smoked hot and I ended up getting rid of it.
I prefer Peterson because I don't like messing with filters. If you can find a filterless Sav then that would be great. I know you can use an adapter or smoke without anything but my Sav smokes better with the balsa filters as intended. There is a lot of turbulence with the adapter and it won't pass a cleaner. Without the adapter, it's too wide open for me.