A Lee Lovat (or Billiard)?

[Briar Lee]

This lovely stamped star screw stem era Two Star Lee arrived today ($17 delivered) and I think it’s a Lovat. If the stem was longer it would be a Billiard. If the shank was longer it would be a Lumberman, or Canadian.


Virtually all Lee pipes are stamped on the left

Pipe by Lee

Limited Edition

——

Lee in his catalogs made no claims of special patented features, no bragging about briar quality, and were little fliers that people had to write Lee to get. Presumably Lee sent catalogs to previous customers, too.

No Lee I’ve ever seen has a shape number on the pipe.

So whether Lee sold this as a Lovat or Billiard, is almost certain to remain a mystery.

What do you call it?

 

[coming to_falling too]

I think lovats tend to have a saddle stem

 

[DanWil84]

I really like this chart for determining what shape it is in the Canadian family, if it matters at all. I think the angle might be deceiving, put I think yours is a billiard because the shank seems shorter than bowl height. I'm very partial to Lovat and Lumberman straight pipes.

 

[Briar Lee]

According to that chart, it’s a Liverpool.

The shank is noticeably longer than the stem, or else I’d say it’s a billiard.

Part of the joy of accumulating Lees is all the variations. This was Lee’s cheapest pipe when it sold new, yet it’s a beautiful and unusual shape with top notch construction and quality.

Remember, except the original purchaser was a cheapskate, this Liverpool could have been a Five Star.

 

[MattRVA]

I’d call it a Liverpool but could also be a billiard. Liverpool is my favorite shape. Nice pipe ?

 

[Briar Lee]

I’d call it a Liverpool but could also be a billiard. Liverpool is my favorite shape. Nice pipe ?

I agree it’s just barely, a Liverpool.

The shank is longer, by a noticeable amount, than both bowl height and stem.

And it’s cleaning up nicely. Strangely, inside it was clean as a whistle, there wasn’t much cake at all in the top of the bowl, but there was a think, hard cake at the very bottom of the chamber, that interfered with the airway.

Dead men tell no tales, but their pipes do.

The owner smoked his pipe to the bottom, kept it clean, but only reamed the top of the chamber.

 

[OzPiper]

I'd call that a long-shanked billiard

 

[anotherbob]

as long as it's a pipe.

 

[Briar Lee]

I smoked my Liverpool (or long shank Billiard) at the Wednesday night skeet shoot, and kept taking a pocketknife to the cake in the bottom of the chamber.

The bit on this pipe is shaped like a wedge, and it’s comfortable.

I tossed it in with things I’ll take to the farm. It’s not nice enough to display, and too good not to use.