Unsmoked Three Pipe Lee 7 Point Star Three Star set on EBay

[Briar Lee]

For the folks who’ve not been blessed and privileged to accumore Lee pipes than I know what to do with, on EBay now is the very first three pipe set of Lees I’ve ever seen offered. And they are new, and unsmoked. But, they aren’t perfect.

Estate Pipes by Lee - Box of Three | eBay

<p>Estate Pipes by Lee - Box of Three. </p><br /><p>Own a piece of American pipe history- Box of 3 Pipes by Lee. From my dad’s extensive collection of Lee pipes. These pipes made in the 1940’s have three 7 pointed stars. In great condition (never been smoked) with outstanding grain -plenty of...

www.ebay.com

So far as I know (and my pencils all have well used erasers) Lee began shipping pipes by mail order only in 1946.

These are early pipes, not as early as Star Grained marked pipes, but they are before one line of

AN AUTHENTIC BRIAR

These have stacked
AUTHENTIC
IMPORTED
BRIAR

Also, in my enormous hoard of Lee pipes I’ve seen one that’s come unscrewed at the front, a rather common defect in glued in Kaywoodies and nearly unheard of in Lees.

The Medium Bulldog is correct-

But the Medium Prince and Medium 3/4 Bent (rare, rare, rare) Billiard have come unscrewed:

After saying prayers and divinations I’d take super glue and screw those back in, after I first made sure the stem will unscrew from that front collar. Those are new pipes, but if for some reason the rear screw won’t let go of the front, there’s trouble. Then I’d just screw and unscrew the pipe in the shank.

Here’s the set:

There’s even a $30 sticker, which might mean they were offered in a fine department store for Christmas 1946. We cannot know.

Individual Three Stars were $10 each in the early catalogs. The customer chose the shape, and for the mid grade Three Star he could get natural, tan, or dark. Those are not dark. They might be natural, but I’m leaning towards calling them tan. It makes little difference because there was little difference between tan stained and natural pipes.

But I’ve known for years, that Lee offered special deals on sets. You could get a set of three for $20 and a set of five for $30 or the thing for the man who had everything, $70 worth of Three Stars, a seven pipe set, for $40.

I’ve heard of multiple Five Star sets, but never seen any.

In New York City in 1946 (and maybe still today) skilled labor rates were likely the highest on earth. The recently shuttered war plants paid 90 cents an hour. Maybe a pipe maker can help me here, but Lee had a new factory, a skilled crew, and 20 years experience the first day he opened.

Lee abandoned the $3.50 One Star within months. I’ve never seen an early smooth, highly finished One Star, only carved pipes that were probably a special set.

I’m guessing Lee didn’t have one dollar cost in any pipe he ever sold.

His advantage was there were no jobber or dealer discounts.

The disadvantage, was trying to get customers to reach for the stars, symbol of the world’s finest pipe, when the customer could go in person to thousands of stores and buy Super Grains for $5 and Flame Grains for $10.

I hope he made a killing, and bought a senior Packard convertible with air conditioning.

(I own a bunch of bulldogs, several princes, but that 3/4 bent Billiard is rare, I own the only other one I’ve seen. I’d smoke all three of those the first day they came in, so have at em’)

Don’t worry about the dark stars.

Those polish back up in seconds.During the 7 and 5 point eras those stars are low carat but genuine gold, called “jeweler’s gold” and are deeply inlaid.

 

[telescopes]

Do you get a kick back for pushing these things.

 

[warren]

"From my dad’s extensive collection of Lee pipes."

Your son is selling these?

 

[Briar Lee]

"From my dad’s extensive collection of Lee pipes."

Your son is selling these?

My children swear they’ll keep every one to remember old Dad by.

That’s very flattering, but I hope they do what this seller is doing, peddle then on eBay.

One of my legal assistants had a father that smoked a pipe.

In due time the old man died, then later his wife, and the three daughters and a son divided all the household goods as good, close families do, each taking something and making sure the next sibling took something else, until it came to Dad’s pipes.

She said they weren’t pretty ones with gold stars like yours.

They were all dirty, and they had three leafed clovers, and none of us wanted old pipes,,,,,

So we threw them out.

(oooohhhhnooo)

 

[AJL67]

Are you not bidding?

 

[Briar Lee]

Are you not bidding?

No.

I don’t collect Lee pipes.

I accumulate and use Lee pipes.

Those are bona fide collector’s items.

I own all three styles and I probably paid less than $30 for each one.

They’ve been unsmoked and look like they’ve been inside a time capsule since 1946.

If those were Kaywoodies they’d be worth many times more than what they’ll bring. I’d be tempted not to smoke those Lees.

Here’s a chance for somebody that doesn’t have dozens upon dozens of Lees to see why, Lee pipes are so addictive.

 

[runscott]

No.

I don’t collect Lee pipes.

I accumulate and use Lee pipes.

That's a good way of putting it. I absolutely hate old unsmoked collectible pipes - especially if they fit a hole in my collection. I try to ignore such auctions.

Unfortunately I do have a few such pipes, and they irritate the hell out of me. The one I hate the most is a 1940's high-grade Peterson with a bone white tenon. I can't smoke the damned thing, and I can't let go of it.