h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Not only did Sherlock holmes never actually stalk deer, he never in reality wore a deerstalker in the books. It was only described as a "felt hat". In some of the early images in the books a deerstalker was used to denote the image of sherlock holmes on the trail of a criminal. Also the clay pipe is never really mentioned, just pipes. But dressing gowns are. Again and again. Im not sure what dressing gowns denote in imagery, but it might give him that kind of lazy decadent look that comes with taking cocaine and being a lazy logician with a curiosity compulsion in the worst or singular crimes perpetrated in the 19th century.

Holmes is shown wearing a deer-stalker in some of the original Sydney Paget illustrations to the stories. Even then it is only when he is in the countryside, not in Londin. The previous researcher is correct, though, in that Holmes is not described as wearing such a hat in the text of the stories. The closest we get to it, I seem to remember, is a 'ear-flapped travelling cap'

Reading the rest of this piece I should, I suppose, offer the following. I believe clay pipes are mentioned, but not the curly Meerschaum pipe of popular image. This was adopted as a pipe for Holmes by William Gillette, the American actor, as it enabled him to keep the pipe in his mouth whilst speaking his lines (that, in itself,must have been something of a feat).

The dressing gown was used differently in the 19th century than it is now. Now it is something you chuck over you jim-jams to keep you relatively respectable whilst lounging around the house. In Holmes' time it was a kind of 'casual' indoor coat to be worn over shirt and waistcoat.

Well, continuing this dead conversation with correct facts for reserachers yet to come:

Sherlock used several pipes, for each mood. When argumentative - "cherry wood". Occasionally "amber stem" or even "brier".

"He took down from the rack the old and oily clay pipe, wich was to him as a counselor, and, having lit it he leaned back in his chair, with the thick blue cloud-wreaths spinning up from him, and a look of infinite languor in his face."

Ooh, the old detective stories! *Goosebumps*

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, deerstalkers... That's quite a "three-pipe problem".