Ok, Alright Already! I Finally Got a Pipe by Lee.

[agnosticpipe]

I've read a lot about these pipes here on the forums, but I've never even seen one. So after years reading about them I decided to find one for myself. I found a nice 3 star (5 points) that was very inexpensive and looked like it had never been smoked. I'm sure it has, but it's so clean it will be easy to get ready to smoke. I'd wait and post some after pics, but I don't think it would make that much of a difference. It's pretty shiny for a used pipe, but I don't think it has a varnish or some kind of clear coat on it. I might be wrong about that, so if you guys that are familiar with these pipes have a look maybe you can give me your opinion about it, and maybe a clue about when it was made. I'm looking forward to giving a clean up and smoking it.

 

[telescopes]

Congratulations on what should be a reliable smoking pipe. You are going to hear a lot of hyperbole and nonsense about Lee pipes - I suspect rather shortly. Ignore most of it - it's just fabricated misdirection and amusement. I've had quite a few Lees over the years - I still have 5. The briar is a dense briar that holds up well over the years. The finish waxes up nicely - I imagine that is what you are seeing. Pay special attention to the mortise and get it as clean as you can. In my experience, that seems to be a problem area with Lees for whatever reason. The vulcanite is generally a good grade and can be micro meshed and polished to a nice shiny black. Once brought back, they tend to stay that way.

You have a five pointed star Lee. This is also known as Second Generation and is considered to be the zenith of Lee pipes. The three star is the most common. Your stars are set into the vulcanite and you can shine them up.

For deeper information on Lees, I recommend you watch some of the videos by @Parsimonious Piper - you can find them on YouTube.

Once cleaned up, I suspect you will find the Lee to be a reliable pipe that represents well a genre of pipes from a time long gone. I enjoy smoking mine. I am sure you enjoy yours as well. Again, congratulations and welcome to the club.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Very nice find. That third pic makes the stars look stamped rather than metal inlays. Before buffing the stem, make sure they’re metal. If they’re stamped, any liquid deoxidizer or buffing wheel will destroy them…cover stamped stars with a small piece of tape and buff by hand.

Thanks @telescopes for the shoutout.

 

[Briar Lee]

Congratulations

Welcome to the stone cold cult of Pipes by Lee.

They were mostly machine shaped and hand finished and came in three generations (and I maintain the third gen of stamped stars is further divided into 1. 2nd Gen quality stamped stars, like one day they started stamping stars, instead of inlaying jewelers gold 2. Kaywoodie style mortise stamped stars and 3. Molded push stems and varnished stamped stars .)

Richard Lee used some kind of probably oil cure that made his pipes taste saccharin sweet during break in. It might have been saccharin based oil for all I know. It’s real and it fades after the pipe is fully broken in.

Most days I agree with telescopes the 2nd gens were the peak quality. Then I fondle a super nice 1st gen and think them equal. It’s close. I think the 2nd gens are the scarcest, and the change was intended as an improvement.

The hidden, recessed mortise, removable stinger on all 1st, 2nd, and 2nd Gen quality stamped stars was a masterpiece. It looks like a push stem. It’s user adjustable (after prayers and a Bic lighter).

Until the day they shut the doors, Lee sold very high quality pipes that smoke wonderfully.

 

[telescopes]

Very nice find. That third pic makes the stars look stamped rather than metal inlays. Before buffing the stem, make sure they’re metal. If they’re stamped, any liquid deoxidizer or buffing wheel will destroy them…cover stamped stars with a small piece of tape and buff by hand.

Thanks @telescopes for the shoutout.

Hmmm. If those are stamped stars they aren’t good shape. You are right - be careful if they are stamped.

 

[telescopes]

Richard Lee .

Lee Singer.

 

[Briar Lee]

It is possible this pipe is what I call a 2nd Gen quality stamped star.



The quality is super high, and maybe the stars were just dabbed with a brush instead of inlaid.

But jeweler’s gold, which was inlaid, is simply an almagram of gold and base metals less than 10 carat. It will oxidize like that.

My guess that’s a genuine 2nd gen that needs cleaned.

 

[telescopes]

When the pipe arrives, please let us know if those are inlaid stars.

 

[agnosticpipe]

When the pipe arrives, please let us know if those are inlaid stars.

Ok, on close examination with a magnifier I can see that the stars are not inlaid but are stamped. I'll just have to be careful when cleaning it up, and I'll post a pic of the results. Thanks for all the advice and info guys.