Show Us Your Gold Coast

[Parsimonious Piper]

Gold Coast was a seconds line to Pipes By Lee. Some models—earlier ones, I suspect—had gold filled bands at the stem joint. This small Lovat doesn’t, but it’s a pretty little pipe nonetheless. I’ll post some of mine with the gold bands later.
Small char on the rim. I didn’t sand it out because I didn’t want to reshape the rim.

 

[Briar Lee]

I wish I knew more about how factory pipes were made in 1946.

It’s pretty safe to assume all the $1 Briarlees, $3.50 Gold Coast, and $5, $10, $15 and $25 Star Grades all came from the same bag of briar.

Also, if Pipes by Lee were hand made Lee would have been sure and have bragged about it. From $1 to $25 the pipes were machine shaped.

Some Briarlee have a push stem, but this one has a Gold Coast type:


The aluminum disc mortise isn’t as fancy or as expensive as the hidden Star Grade version.


With most articles the less the price the more sold, but with Lee pipes the most commonly found is the $10 Three Star.

That’s the only Gold Coast I’ve ever seen, and I look every day on eBay.

Even a Briarlee is not nearly as common as a Star Grade.

A Briarlee was always a Lee second, but a Gold Coast was a sub brand.

Later a Gold Coast became an exclusive $1 pipe sold by Goldblatt’s.

 

[telescopes]

All three of my Gold Coast have gold filled bands. Two have a lighter stain and one is a bit darker. The lighter stain were either never smoked or lightly smoked. A Gold Coast pipe is a worker. She isn’t handsome, not frilly at all. But she does have that gold band and she smokes all right. But he’ll, how are you going to keep the boys on the farm after they saw Paris? Or a nice artisan?

 

[telescopes]

That gold filled band is a mighty thin, wouldn’t you all say? Say Amen, somebody!

 

[didimauw]

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All three of my Gold Coast have gold filled bands. Two have a lighter stain and one is a bit darker. The lighter stain were either never smoked or lightly smoked. A Gold Coast pipe is a worker. She isn’t handsome, not frilly at all. But she does have that gold band and she smokes all right. But he’ll, how are you going to keep the boys on the farm after they saw Paris? Or a nice artisan?

Damn, those were "seconds?"

I disagree. I think those are beautiful pipes actually.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

All three of my Gold Coast have gold filled bands. Two have a lighter stain and one is a bit darker. The lighter stain were either never smoked or lightly smoked. A Gold Coast pipe is a worker. She isn’t handsome, not frilly at all. But she does have that gold band and she smokes all right. But he’ll, how are you going to keep the boys on the farm after they saw Paris? Or a nice artisan?

I think the rest of mine have the gold bands, too.

 

[Briar Lee]

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That gold filled band is a mighty thin, wouldn’t you all say? Say Amen, somebody!

But it says gold filled, and that means it was made as a sandwich of real gold over base metal.

I try and imagine Lee as he bid for the only large supply of briar blocks in the civilized world, probably on the docks of Hoboken.

Where was the KB&B representative?

Did he have friends in high places that won him the bid without other bidders?

No other pipe can whisper you a story about a man with a dream to make the best pipes in the world starting a brand new pipe company while the boys overseas were still sparking their pretty Frauliens and waiting for troopships back home.

But it really did, happen that way.

I just hope Lee sold out and bought a Packard with electric shift, in time.

 

[hugodrax]

But it says gold filled, and that means it was made as a sandwich of real gold over base metal.

I try and imagine Lee as he bid for the only large supply of briar blocks in the civilized world, probably on the docks of Hoboken.

Where was the KB&B representative?

Did he have friends in high places that won him the bid without other bidders?

No other pipe can whisper you a story about a man with a dream to make the best pipes in the world starting a brand new pipe company while the boys overseas were still sparking their pretty Frauliens and waiting for troopships back home.

But it really did, happen that way.

I just hope Lee sold out and bought a Packard with electric shift, in time.

Ta-pocketa, ta-pocketa.

 

[Briar Lee]

Ta-pocketa, ta-pocketa.

The research Jguss has done so far has revealed that somehow, Lee purchased a huge stash of briar that was being held by one of the almost countless different government wartime holding companies, sometime in early 1946.

The demobilization of 12 million United States soldiers was not something done overnight.


Every one of those millions boys had a relieved Blue Star mother, that her son would live to comb gray hair, and she'd not become a Gold Star mother.

About ninety per cent were cigarette smokers, and a carton of cigarettes would have not been nearly as classy a gift as a fancy pipe with a gold filled band, or gold stars, for their homecoming.

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Definition​

In the United States, the quality of gold-filled jewelry is defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If the gold layer is 10kt fineness, the minimum weight of the plated layer on an item stamped "GF" must equal at least 1⁄20th of the total weight of the item. If the gold layer is 12 kt or higher, the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped "GF" must equal at least 1⁄20th the total weight of the item. The most common stamps found on gold-filled jewelry are 1⁄20th 12kt GF and 1⁄20th 14kt GF. Also common is 1⁄10th 10kt. These standards are for modern gold-filled items. It is not uncommon to see 1⁄8 14kt gold-filled marks, plus many other variations, on items from the 1930s, 1940s, etc., which would have to be marked "Rolled Gold Plate".[citation needed]

The Federal Trade Commission allows the use of the terms "rolled gold plate," "R.G.P" or "gold overlay" on items with lower thicknesses of gold than are required for "gold-filled."[2] An example would be an item stamped as "1⁄40 10kt RGP" meaning that the object is plated with 10kt gold at a thickness that makes weight of the plated layer equal to one-fortieth of the weight of the metal parts of the object.

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Those Blue Star mothers and lonesome sweethearts and wives weren't looking for the cheapest pipe to give their hero, home at last from the war.

Lee was selling the world's best pipes, a brand new item, limited editions made from authentic imported briar, in the shops at $5 and $10, and special order for $15 and $25.

But for $3.50 you could give a Gold Coast pipe, with a genuine gold filled band.

Really now, wasn't that soldier worth $10?

It explains why so many Three Star grade Lees.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Here’s a decent little Zulu. Still need to finish the rim.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Nobody’s posted an Apple yet…

 

[didimauw]

Nobody’s posted an Apple yet…
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Those are a classy bunch! Apple is my favorite shape. Nice grain on that one!

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Or how ‘bout a smallish Dublin…

 

[Briar Lee]

Or how ‘bout a smallish Dublin…
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The first Gold Coast pipes were $3.50 and the Two Star Lees were $5.

Lee used some kind of staining on the Gold Coast line to make them flashier.

They are sort of two toned.

 

[telescopes]

Just a reminder, if you have recently purchased or come across a Gold Coast, don't be shy.

 

[didimauw]

Just a reminder, if you have recently purchased or come across a Gold Coast, don't be shy.

Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing more of these. This whole range of pipes, is what I consider to be how pipes should look.

 

[telescopes]

Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing more of these. This whole range of pipes, is what I consider to be how pipes should look.

Gold Coast is a nice stately pipe that would have served any man well in the 50s or 60s, especially if we're out out at a steak house or having a martini.

 

[telescopes]

Smoking a Gold Coast Billiard today. Any other GC smokers?

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

Here’s a nice billiard with clear stamping on the stummel and gold band. Nice birdseye on the bowl, too. Couple dings I could sand and restaim, but I tend to leave a few marks to remind me someone else loved it before I.

 

[telescopes]

Here’s a nice billiard with clear stamping on the stummel and gold band. Nice birdseye on the bowl, too. Couple dings I could sand and restaim, but I tend to leave a few marks to remind me someone else loved it before I.
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Parsimonious, it is true, I did love that pipe. I am glad it found a good home.

It couldn't have gone to a better person who appreciates these pipes.