Show off Your Pipe Maker Pipes

[Briar Lee]

Although what sources there are attribute the Pipe Maker brand to another manufacturer, I’m convinced either Lee made the brand under contract, or else they are outright copies of Briarlee pipes.

Pipe Maker pipes have red dots or blue dots, most do not have model names, and the screw stems and stingers interchange with Pipes by Lee.

This one missing the dot (a common flaw) was $15.50 delivered. I have two Briarlee pipes that appear identical to this one.

 

[telescopes]

Pipemaker pipes are obviously a lower tiered pipe with low grade stems. That said, I have two Excellent examples. One is a freestyle Rusticated 1960s style interesting thing - it is interesting, and the other is an unusual combination or billiard with a touch of Rhodesian.

Both pipes are unique and I’ve seen nothing that compares to them.

 

[Briar Lee]

When I see a Pipe Maker, I envision some tabloid type pipe mail order flyer with a spiel that reads:

The prestigious New York City pipe maker had an overrun and their loss is your gain.

As a condition of sale, we are contractually not allowed to tell you the name of this famous pipe maker.

But until our supply is exhausted your choice, only 98 cents when added to any order.

Comparing a Pipe Maker to a Briarlee reveals:

1 The exact same improved Lee copy of a Kaywoodie mortise. The disc that shows is the same, but the mortise is finely threaded and glued, instead of ribbed and glued.

2. A Lee removable stinger. These came in an almost limitless variety of variations, even a Kaywoodie type ball minus holes.

3. The rear tenon is exactly the same as any Lee or Briarlee that wasn’t a push stem. Unlike a Kaywoodie, the stinger detaches, and a Lee type is adjustable (unless welded by tars) by means of any pair or pliers or chucking in a vice.

4. Pipe Maker pipes are not made of junk briar, but most are darkly stained and not to the grain level of Briarlee or Lee.

5. The stem is not the highest grade of vulcanite. Instead it’s a harder, shinier grade of hard rubber and appears identical to a Briarlee.

6. The most important similarity is when new a Pipe Maker has the same impossibly sweet taste from the curing that Lee used. If other makers knew how they would duplicate it.

The Pipe Maker line generally has no or very small fills, rarely are any carved or rusticated (same as Lees) and in the smaller shapes like a Pear or Slim Medium Billiard the similarities between a Pipe Maker, Briarlee and Lee Star Grade are extremely obvious.

 

[telescopes]

You will always find similarities. They don’t always add up to causation.

 

[telescopes]

By the way, both pipes are decent smokers. But the stems are junk.

 

[Briar Lee]

View attachment 184044
You will always find similarities. They don’t always add up to causation.

Who would collect a Pipe Maker, as cheap as genuine Star Grade Lees are?

There’s not much documentation on the Pipe Maker brand, and never will be.

The cross between a Rhodesian and Pear upper example is also a commonly found Briarlee. Every maker made a Dublin, and that one is carved.

What interests me in a Pipe Maker, are two things.

Adding that Briarlee copy duralumin mortise, stinger and tenon cost money, it was an extra three parts to buy, and to fit. At the bitter end even Lee Star Grades had push stems. Why did an obviously cheap, generic Pipe Maker brand have those?

The other thing fascinating is like a Lee product, there are a phenomenal number of brand new or nearly new Pipe Makers for sale on eBay. Those cheap pipes were unlikely gifts. Why?

 

[telescopes]

number of brand new or nearly new Pipe Makers for sale on eBay.…. Why?

Because you have yet to really “hype” them?

 

[Briar Lee]

Because you have yet to really “hype” them?

By the luck of the draw, my mother fell in love with my father and I was born and grew up a half mile South of Bug Tussle and I was exposed to critical thinking at home, church and school for my formative years, more so than anybody not raised up as a Campbelitte can imagine.

I can remember my paternal grandmother having me look at the contrail of a jet plane and she was explaining the miracle of flight to me. She died the month after I turned two.

The phenomenon many pristine Lees and Pipe Makers for sale on eBay can be explained by survivorship bias, a concept I was taught too early to remember when.

Explaining a lot of pristine expensive Lee Star Grades still surviving is easy. They must have been given as gifts to men who weren’t regular pipe smokers.

Maybe the Pipe Makers were bought as stocking stuffers, by the dozen?

 

[cigrmaster]

My 38 favorite pipes have no dots, of any color. All mine are marked by the artisan who made it and usually the year or date
I personally don't care for dots on my pipes. Don't really know why but I just don't care for them. . I like the artisan to put his stamp and date on the pipe.

Lee, I bet your moms favorite dress was a black polka dot dress with white dots.

 

[Briar Lee]

My 38 favorite pipes have no dots, of any color. All mine are marked by the artisan who made it and usually the year or date
I personally don't care for dots on my pipes. Don't really know why but I just don't care for them. . I like the artisan to put his stamp and date on the pipe.

Lee, I bet your moms favorite dress was a black polka dot dress with white dots.

Every Campbellite mother and grandmother of my youth favored polka dot dresses.

They all had full length mirrors in their bedrooms, and they didn’t leave that bedroom unless they were perfect.

Their men didn’t have one artisan pipe.

But if he smoked a pipe, she’d have given him only whatever Bing Cosby or Ward Cleaver smoked, and it damned sure wouldn’t have been a cheap pipe with a dot on it. A Star Grade Lee, a high grade Kaywoodie, whatever the best department store catering to men in Springfield Missouri sold,,,,where she bought all his suits, ties, and good shoes.

That still doesn’t explain sixty year old dollar Pipe Maker pipes with dots brand new on eBay.


Nor why some have blue and others red dots. I smell a lawyer in the woodpile threatening a trademark infringement suit.

 

[telescopes]

Every Campbellite mother and grandmother of my youth favored polka dot dresses.

They all had full length mirrors in their bedrooms, and they didn’t leave that bedroom unless they were perfect.

Their men didn’t have one artisan pipe.

But if he smoked a pipe, she’d have given him only whatever Bing Cosby or Ward Cleaver smoked, and it damned sure wouldn’t have been a cheap pipe with a dot on it. A Star Grade Lee, a high grade Kaywoodie, whatever the best department store catering to men in Springfield Missouri sold,,,,where she bought all his suits, ties, and good shoes.

That still doesn’t explain sixty year old dollar Pipe Maker pipes with dots brand new on eBay.


Nor why some have blue and others red dots. I smell a lawyer in the woodpile threatening a trademark infringement suit.

Famous Barr always preferred suppliers who could be counted on to supply an inventory that was always on sale.

 

[Briar Lee]

Last night, $16 delivered bought this white dot Pipe Maker.



I own several Pipe Maker pipes where that bullseye has fallen out.

Others, with red, blue, and white dots for the center of the bullseye. Those bulleyes cost money to add.I wonder why all the different colors?

Every one has a stinger and stem interchangeable with a screw stem Lee or Briarlee, with the Kaywoodie type Briarlee mortise.

If new or nearly new, they all have the distinctive sweet briar taste of a Lee while breaking in.

This might be the only rusticated example I have.

 

[Briar Lee]

This morning I found this Small Pear Pipe Maker among my Lees.



No matter who made it, Pipe Maker was probably the king of generic pipes back in the day.

I’m transferring this one to the console or door pocket of my car.

That saves the prettiest ones to show off around company, you know?.