Caveat Emptor

[Briar Lee]

Yesterday I scored a high condition Briarlee push stem, but the search never ends for more, better Pipes by Lee and associated sub brands Briarlee and Pipe Maker.

Preferably under $30.

This listing is on eBay now by an unsophisticated seller, for $25 plus $4.95 shipping or make an offer.

(He’s unsophisticated because the pipe is still wet from the sink, and he’s not held it up to the light to see the rubbed off stars. It’s likely a nice third generation screw stem Three Star Medium Dublin, of which I have over a dozen already)

But whoops, it has a defect!

Since it’s a Lee and not a Kaywoodie this defect is remediable.

What needs fixing?

 

[LimestoneCowboy]

Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face.

 

[Chasing Embers]

What needs repairing?

 

[Briar Lee]

What needs repairing?

The Lee was not a copy, but an improvement of a Kaywoodie.

The front part of the Kaywoodie is ribbed, so that the ribs can hold glue to retain the shank fitting for the screw stem. The front fitting on a Lee is threaded, and the shank has threads to accept it.

That one has a welded (probably only by congealed tars) screw, where the front fitting has unscrewed.

Here is that one, enlarged.



Here’s a good one from another Lee, that shows what it should look like.



I knew it had to be possible, but I’ve never seen one unscrewed from the shank before, either front or rear.