After about six dozen Lees and Pipe Makers and Briarlees, I’ve grown used to expecting these variations:
1. Lee Star Grade pipes were made with either the classic Lee recessed (invisible) and twin screw removable stinger fitment, or else a push stem. A real Lee pipe looks like a push stem whether it is or is not.
2. A Pipe Maker and most Briarlee pipes used a simpler and probably easier to make Kaywoodie type fitment that accepts the Lee stinger, but the end of the stummel on a Pipe Maker or screw stem Briarlee is an aluminum disc. It works the same, but the customer can see the aluminum ring between stummel and stem and he might feel sort of like poor folks having to make do with a Kaywoodie type joint instead of a genuine Lee Star Grade with an invisible joining of stummel and stem.
3. All Lee, Pipe Maker, and Briarlee pipes had stars for Lees, bulleyes for Pipe Maker, or plain stems for Briarlee. Earlier Lee Star Gradeshad gorgeously inlaid 7 or later 5 point jeweler’s gold stars inlaid in the stem, on top, and later those stars were stamped and filled with some kind of gilding that soon wears off. But there’s no stars in the shank, of a Lee. The stars are on the stem.
Never say never:
Lookie at my latest $27 delivered price Lee Three Star with a Kaywoodie type joint and three stars stamped on the shank.
When it arrived I’ll clean it up and fire it up and give a review.
My wild guess is, this was a pipe made during the transition between screw stems and push stems.
The Pipe Maker line used that Kaywoodie type fitment, and Lee used up the stock.
Also, the Pipe Maker line used an more plastic than hard rubber stem.
Maybe they wouldn’t accept a clean stamp?
It’s not valuable like it would be if it was an oddball Kaywoodie.
But I’m just curious, you know?
1. Lee Star Grade pipes were made with either the classic Lee recessed (invisible) and twin screw removable stinger fitment, or else a push stem. A real Lee pipe looks like a push stem whether it is or is not.
2. A Pipe Maker and most Briarlee pipes used a simpler and probably easier to make Kaywoodie type fitment that accepts the Lee stinger, but the end of the stummel on a Pipe Maker or screw stem Briarlee is an aluminum disc. It works the same, but the customer can see the aluminum ring between stummel and stem and he might feel sort of like poor folks having to make do with a Kaywoodie type joint instead of a genuine Lee Star Grade with an invisible joining of stummel and stem.
3. All Lee, Pipe Maker, and Briarlee pipes had stars for Lees, bulleyes for Pipe Maker, or plain stems for Briarlee. Earlier Lee Star Gradeshad gorgeously inlaid 7 or later 5 point jeweler’s gold stars inlaid in the stem, on top, and later those stars were stamped and filled with some kind of gilding that soon wears off. But there’s no stars in the shank, of a Lee. The stars are on the stem.
Never say never:
Lookie at my latest $27 delivered price Lee Three Star with a Kaywoodie type joint and three stars stamped on the shank.
When it arrived I’ll clean it up and fire it up and give a review.
My wild guess is, this was a pipe made during the transition between screw stems and push stems.
The Pipe Maker line used that Kaywoodie type fitment, and Lee used up the stock.
Also, the Pipe Maker line used an more plastic than hard rubber stem.
Maybe they wouldn’t accept a clean stamp?
It’s not valuable like it would be if it was an oddball Kaywoodie.
But I’m just curious, you know?
