My Two New Lee Pipes

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Today, I received in the mail my two Lee Pipes. With all of this talk about Lee and his pipes, I thought, well, may be I need to check them out.

The top one is a Pipe by Lee Pot Three Star. I am thinking it is the third incarnation of the Lee Pipes where the stars eventually faded before dying and becoming black holes. The pipe is otherwise clean and the grain looks nice. How will it smoke? Well, it will be awhile before I know, but I will be sure to return to this thread and update you. I want to spend some time cleaning it out and sterilizing it first. The pipe seems lightly smoked. The stinger does NOT seem to be removable.

The second one is a Briarlee, and it is clearly not of the same quality.the stem seemed to be an after thought and required me to sand it quite a bit to ensure it meshed evenly with the pipe. Also, I had to reclock the pipe stem by about 25 degrees. However, the pipe has never been smoked and seems like it might make a nice addition to my second string pipe collection.

I am hoping Mr. @Briar Lee will jump in here and give me his thoughts on these pipes.

 

[telescopes]

Ok, polished up the stem of the Three Star Pipe by Lee Pot. Loaded it with some red Virginia with a mosh mash of other tobaccos mixed in. I sanded down the bowl some, but not enough. There is the slight taste of burley and me thinks Perique lingering around. I intend to send this pipe out for a full refurbishment, including refreshing the gold stars.

The draw is acceptable and not a problem. The heat retention seems acceptable as well. I noticed that the inside of the bowl appeared cylindrical and there were signs of char.

Verdict so far? Comparable to a high end Grabow or Kaywoodie from the 40s. I suspetc that after the pipe is fully refurbished that it will be a keeper and a smoker that won’t disappoint.

The pipe clenches well, has a good hand feel, and the bowl is without fills.

More to follow.

 

[ssjones]

Are they push tenons?

 

[Briar Lee]

Are they push tenons?

The Lee Star Grade appears to be a push tenon, but likely has the highest evolutionary improvements Mr. Lee made to the Kaywoodie system of an effective stinger and a truly synchronized screw stem. The very last Lee Star Grade pipes had push tenons and stamped stars, but those are scarce, and mine have obviously lower quality moulded stems. That Lee is a typical third period stamped star that has a hand cut stem made from rod vulcanite.

The Briarlee was a Lee second. They are in my experience actually rarer than the full Star Grade Lee.

That particular Briarlee is extremely rare, in that it has an aluminum ring between shank and stem, which is Kaywoodie style, and not the superior and more expensive recessed Lee style. I have exactly one of those.

What is so typical is that Briarlee is at least a half century old, and perhaps three quarters of a century old, and it’s unsmoked!

Both those pipes were ordered from a Lee catalog that was devoted to selling the world’s finest pipe, the Lee Star Grade.

The buyer probably drove a Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln, or Imperial. He (or his wife or daughter) was a well to do American who was paying Kaywoodie prices for a Lee brand pipe.

Yet an astonishing number of Lee products, even the lowly Briarlee that sold for as cheap as a dollar, were never smoked.

Kaywoodies were sold in every decent sized drug store in the United States.

If Lee had dealers, I’ve never read about them.

It was a pretentious luxury product, and well worth the money.

Let’s have a full report on the first bowl from that new, old Briarlee.

The Lee Star Grade pipes were for Cadillac buyers, but Briarlee was for old five and dimers, like me.

OLD FIVE AND DIMERS

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Why?

 

[Briar Lee]

Why?

There was a shining day, when Americans thought a Cadillac was the standard of luxury for the world.

Fifty years ago this October, my father had died, the crops were in the fields, and my mother blew out the pilot lights on the central gas furnace so we’d have to burn wood, instead.

The wolf never came to the door. It all turned out, just fine.

In 1973 my mother bought a “program” Chevrolet Caprice.

In 1977 she bought a brand new Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

And she sent me to law school,

And then bye and bye, I’ve driven Cadillacs and Lincolns, and a Chrysler 300 Hemi every loving day.

I’m am so happy to be able to upgrade my Dr. Grabows to Star Grade Lees, I thank the Lord every day.

CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY

Bobby Bare

 

[telescopes]

Are they push tenons?

No, they both screw in to the mortise.

 

[telescopes]

The Lee Star Grade appears to be a push tenon,

Bo sir, she’s a screw. However, I can see no way to pull off the stinger. It appears to be one piece here’s a better picture of the grain .

 

[telescopes]

Why?

Because it was there. And, why not?

 

[Duck]

This is genius by @Briar Lee.

1. Buy up lots of pipes by an unknown maker.
2. Come on the forum and get people curious about these pipes.
3. People start buying these pipes to find out what they're like.
4. They become fashionable and their price soars.
5. @Briar Lee sells his extensive stock of said pipes and becomes the forums first billionaire.

 

[telescopes]

What I find rewarding is learning about and discovering historic pipe makers whose lights of fame have dimmed. just as exciting is coming across those makers who during particular epochs had grand pipes, such as Kaywoodie.

 

[danish]

This is genius by @Briar Lee.

1. Buy up lots of pipes by an unknown maker.
2. Come on the forum and get people curious about these pipes.
3. People start buying these pipes to find out what they're like.
4. They become fashionable and their price soars.
5. @Briar Lee sells his extensive stock of said pipes and becomes the forums first billionaire.

6. Alternatively put a coin in the chamber and a softie bit on the stem. Then sell them as Briarlee Bitcoins.

 

[ssjones]

I'm sure people question my allegiance and passion for GBD's, so guess I'm just like old Billy Joe.
Thanks for the stinger pictures, interesting to contast to a Kaywoodie system.
It's documented that Kaywoodies in the 1930's, sold at a higher price than a Dunhill. American pipe smokers in the 30's to 60's seemed to care little for Dunhill pipes.

 

[Briar Lee]

Bo sir, she’s a screw. However, I can see no way to pull off the stinger. It appears to be one piece here’s a better picture of the grain .View attachment 102935

First, remember if I fail, I have dozens of Lee pipes to back up the one I ruin.

The Lee stinger was made as a seperate piece, and removable the day the pipe was made, although it looks like a one piece Kaywoodie.



(You’d think Lee would have made a big deal over this feature)

I don’t collect Lee pipes, I accumulate Lee pipes. Some of those stingers were the devil to jerk out using pliers. Using the pipe welds them in tighter, as the tars act like glue.

They were pressed in, probably with a machine of some kind, and it’s rare to find two exactly the same. One fits all Lee, Briarlee, and Pipe Maker brands. If Lee didn’t make Pipe Maker they copied the Lee stinger.

But as you’ve already discovered, unlike a Kaywoodie that must be heated (and the stem oxidized) the rear piece of the Lee that fits in the stem was NOT pressed but threaded, and the owner can realign (synchronize) the hand made original stem to the shank, if the tars haven’t welded the screw that fits in the stem.

The front fitting on your Lee is recessed, unlike the Briarlee (or a Kaywoodie) abd that was also screwed in.

Vulcanite stem end to wood shank end makes for a better seal than vulcanite to aluminum. The Lee won’t leak, and stays closed.

Somewhere out there, there might be a “lunch box special” Lee, and even if it’s not marked A Limited Edition, or An Authentic Imported Briar, or even if that Lee was not crowned with the Stars That Symbolized The World’s Finest Pipe, it’s still a Lee.

It would have been made, one piece at a time.

ONE PIECE AT A TIME

Johnny Cash

 

[condorlover1]

Between @Briar Lee obsession with Lee Pipes and myself and @weezell gargantuan obsession with 19th century meerschaum 'cutty' pipes coupled with our search for that 'Hold my beer' Plug tobacco moment I reckon we have the makings of a fascinating Christmas Party here!

 

[ssjones]

Push stem stingers should be easily removable. Simply soak the stem/stinger in alcohol for a few hours.

I might not be following you, but Kaywoodie stingers and female inserts were both threaded.

 

[didimauw]

Between @Briar Lee obsession with Lee Pipes and myself and @weezell gargantuan obsession with 19th century meerschaum 'cutty' pipes coupled with our search for that 'Hold my beer' Plug tobacco moment I reckon we have the makings of a fascinating Christmas Party here!

I'll bring the Carter Hall!

 

[Briar Lee]

This is genius by @Briar Lee.

1. Buy up lots of pipes by an unknown maker.
2. Come on the forum and get people curious about these pipes.
3. People start buying these pipes to find out what they're like.
4. They become fashionable and their price soars.
5. @Briar Lee sells his extensive stock of said pipes and becomes the forums first billionaire.

Jesus walks into a bar, and there’s two guys there that look sort of lame and crippled, and both have canes.

Jesus sits around and drinks a few Stag beers with the guys, and bye and bye, Jesus says what can I do for you fine folks?

One says I’ve always wanted, to be able to walk without a cane.

Poof, Jesus heals the man’s twisted leg and he runs and jumps around all across the baroom.

Jesus looks at the other guy, and the fellow says hold on a minute Jesus, before you heal me.

It took a good lawyer three years and two appeals before I got awarded the disability, and let’s think this through a little, all right?

You have any idea how long it takes, to accumulate over five dozen Lee pipes, plus a few Briarlees, and some nice Pipe Makers?

You find your own Lees.

Mine are mine, and not for sale.

A hillbilly might sell his Lee pipes about the same time he sold his dog or his woman or his Cadillac, Lincoln or Chrysler. Lee pipes, are like a good woman, you don’t get rid of them a’tall.

 

[telescopes]

Jesus walks into a bar, and there’s two guys there that look sort of lame and crippled, and both have canes.

Jesus sits around and drinks a few Stag beers with the guys, and bye and bye, Jesus says what can I do for you fine folks?

One says I’ve always wanted, to be able to walk without a cane.

Poof, Jesus heals the man’s twisted leg and he runs and jumps around all across the baroom.

Jesus looks at the other guy, and the fellow says hold on a minute Jesus, before you heal me.

It took a good lawyer three years and two appeals before I got awarded the disability, and let’s think this through a little, all right?

You have any idea how long it takes, to accumulate over five dozen Lee pipes, plus a few Briarlees, and some nice Pipe Makers?

You find your own Lees.

Mine are mine, and not for sale.

A hillbilly might sell his Lee pipes about the same time he sold his dog or his woman or his Cadillac, Lincoln or Chrysler. Lee pipes, are like a good woman, you don’t get rid of them a’tall.

Yes, but do you have a Marxman 400?

 

[telescopes]

The Lee is getting a nice salt soak. I sanded much of the inside chamber cake away. Started to clean the mortise and baby, was thing thing smoked. I’m still going to send the pipe out to briarville to get the stamps refurbished.