Breaking in a new/old pipe with Three Friars. This pipe is a small Rhodesian, apparently 60 years old and found in quantity in a French attic, and marked Brulor Mowbray. I bought it on Etsy from Bruno Nuttens. I‘ve seen @TheIronMonkey and @PaulTheScandinavian comment on these pipes, and noticed that @Scottishgaucho smokes a similar pipe. I love these Maigret-esque pipes! Irish whisky to celebrate!
***What Are You Smoking, July 2022?***
- Thread starter JimInks
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Finally getting to relax. Having some GH Broken Scotch Cake in a Moretti Elunium “55” with a delicious Blackstone Brewing Dark Matter Black IPA (made right here in Tennessee) on the side. 
Reading @Briar Lee ’s missives on Pipes by Lee over the last seven months got me curious about checking these pipes out. @telescopes ’s recent endorsements have added to the growing curiosity into this exploration of possible mediocrity.
I‘ve been looking for awhile, but, these pipes are often beat to hell, something that’s not terribly appealing to the collector in me. Recently, a seller on eBay was selling his father’s Pipes by Lee (the joke in another thread about it being the son of Briar Lee truly cracked me up)—I was able to get an unsmoked pipe in late June. More recently, the son listed an unsmoked boxed set of three Lee pipes; as most of you know, I’m a sucker for packaging and preserving it, and I was fortunate enough to get the set—the set will remain unsmoked—they’re truly special in this unmolested condition (Briar Lee: the screw-in mounts for the stingers were easily unlocked and put back correctly into the shanks); my feeling is, once smoked, they’re just used pipes—leaving them as is, is preserving history. I was considering bidding on the Gold Coast set with gold filled bands, but, I figured I’d be better off finding out how a Lee smoked before spending any more money. I’m a collector, but, I’m also a pipe smoker. So, I'm going to devirginize the single unsmoked Lee. It's certainly old enough.
Going to light up Esoterica Pembroke (2021) in a Pipe by Lee Limited Edition Seven Pointed Three Star Billiard (by the way, the stars tarnish and look like brass to these eyes).
I‘ve been looking for awhile, but, these pipes are often beat to hell, something that’s not terribly appealing to the collector in me. Recently, a seller on eBay was selling his father’s Pipes by Lee (the joke in another thread about it being the son of Briar Lee truly cracked me up)—I was able to get an unsmoked pipe in late June. More recently, the son listed an unsmoked boxed set of three Lee pipes; as most of you know, I’m a sucker for packaging and preserving it, and I was fortunate enough to get the set—the set will remain unsmoked—they’re truly special in this unmolested condition (Briar Lee: the screw-in mounts for the stingers were easily unlocked and put back correctly into the shanks); my feeling is, once smoked, they’re just used pipes—leaving them as is, is preserving history. I was considering bidding on the Gold Coast set with gold filled bands, but, I figured I’d be better off finding out how a Lee smoked before spending any more money. I’m a collector, but, I’m also a pipe smoker. So, I'm going to devirginize the single unsmoked Lee. It's certainly old enough.
Going to light up Esoterica Pembroke (2021) in a Pipe by Lee Limited Edition Seven Pointed Three Star Billiard (by the way, the stars tarnish and look like brass to these eyes).
Gawith Hoggarth Brown Flake Unscented (most underdiscussed/underrated GH blend?) in a Bruno Nuttens Vintage Series Cutty.
I saw these listed! I DMed @Briar Lee to see if he’d seen them but got no reply. Very cool. Supposedly circa 1940s right?
Capstan Blue Flake in a Dunhill Cumberland
Getting me all worked up with my 2 favorite things a pipe can have, beautiful sandblast and cumberland stems!
It’s under-discussed for a reason bro. ?
I thought that might have been you who nabbed those pipes. I didn’t care to push past $150 for a set of pipes I too would have left unsmoked. So… I settled for the Gold Coast pipes you referred too. I keep the majority of my Lees in my Laughlin get away. But to be clear, I do not endorse them as any thing more than being a good smoke in what I am convinced is a well made pipe of average to above average quality. I have smoke Pete’s for near 40 years and I think my seven Lees each have proven to be as good or better. The vulcanite stems have held up better to sunlight and polish up nicer than a Charatan’s Make.
Briar Lee’s extreme hyperbole notwithstanding, they are a reliably average to better than average smoke. I have enjoyed the challenge of restoring the ones I have. Rich at Briarville speaks well of the brand as well and has handled many a Lee. I hope you enjoy your unsmoked Lee, I know the one you speak of. I missed out on it as well.
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By the way @TheIronMonkey our fellow Lee aficionado @Parsimonious Piper was the smoker’s whose endorsement convinced me to purchase a Lee on a bit of a Lark. You are right, it is getting harder to find any Lees worth purchasing that haven’t been abused by what must be oil rig workers.
You are correct. Regardless of what one thinks of the brand, that’s a cool set. I am only a bit sore at loosing out.
Done with today's work a little early, so it's time to get a smoke in before the rain. CAO Moontrance in my MM Country Gentleman. This blend, properly dried, is like a tropical fruit ambrosia for the taste buds (especially in this humidity). As for when it's NOT properly dried....well, we don't talk about that here. Suffice to say, it involves lots of screaming, a bevy of broken household items strewn about, and a whole host of lawsuits from neighbors to wade through over one's morning coffee.
Bird report: California scrub-jay, California towhee, House finch, Northern flicker, Oak titmouse, White-breasted nuthatch, Mountain chickadee, Western kingbird, Common raven, Red-tailed hawk, Steller's jay, California quail, and Hairy woodpecker. In other words...everyone.
This cloud cover is a godsend. Keeps those temperatures down. It even looks like heaven's light!
Bird report: California scrub-jay, California towhee, House finch, Northern flicker, Oak titmouse, White-breasted nuthatch, Mountain chickadee, Western kingbird, Common raven, Red-tailed hawk, Steller's jay, California quail, and Hairy woodpecker. In other words...everyone.
This cloud cover is a godsend. Keeps those temperatures down. It even looks like heaven's light!
About a quarter of a bowl left of year 2014 Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster in a medium bend black sandblasted 1925 Dunhill double patent “Shell” 56/10 billiard with a tapered black vulcanite stem.
Well, the Battle of the Plumcakes is on! Last night, it was Germain's, tonight it is Mac Baren. I'm using the same pipe for continuity.
Truth be told, the only similarity in these blends is the name. The Germain's is a light sweet shag with some tasty wine notes. The Mac Baren is a rough cut, with some extra twigs and such, it's significantly less fruity, and has some good spiciness to it. It has a quality that reminds me a little of the Solent Mixture...not super close, but reminiscent for sure!
Truth be told, the only similarity in these blends is the name. The Germain's is a light sweet shag with some tasty wine notes. The Mac Baren is a rough cut, with some extra twigs and such, it's significantly less fruity, and has some good spiciness to it. It has a quality that reminds me a little of the Solent Mixture...not super close, but reminiscent for sure!
By that you must mean its so good you dont want the world to know?
Cobblestone English Plug in my vision of a Danish free form.
C&D Bayou Morning in a Peterson Kildare Canadian.
9 year old Klondike Gold in a one off MM cob they made for me many moons ago.
I’m glad you got the Gold Coast set—it’s nice knowing it went to the appreciative home of a fellow forum member. With the savings on the Lee set (based on what you didn’t bid), I was considering popping in a bid on the Gold Coast set; the nick on the bowl helped me rationalize not bidding, especially, on an unknown quantity, having never smoked any Pipes by Lee.
I’m getting into the second half of the Pembroke in the now smoked “unsmoked” pipe—it’s smoking cool and sweet, and draws better than some pipes I have with a stinger, but, I wouldn’t say it’s appreciably different than many other pipes. I’m glad I have it, but, I’m not hearing angels sing and trumpet as our Country Lawyer would have us believe.
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