***What Are You Smoking, July 2022?***

[petes03]

Having a delicious mid day smoke and drink. Some GH Scotch Flake in an Ardor Urano Fantasy Paneled Apple with a Blackstone Dark Matter Black IPA on the side.

 

[AJL67]

Presbyterian in the Craw Love this stuff to break up all the Virginia i smoke throughout the day.

 

[JimInks]

Did a set of walking reps on this hot and humid day, and am close to finishing this bowl of year 2016 D&R Three Sails in an undated straight brush etched black Molina apple with a nickel band and a black tapered vulcanite stem.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Oliva Saison.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking KBV Sweet Muffin 2 beta: Attack of the Scone in a 1960s Austrian meerschaum bent apple with a tapered yellow stem. Making beta test review notes.

 

[timt]

I'm not smoking this Jacono because I don't own it. But, it keeps staring at me from the SP sidebar ad. How about one of you guys buy it and tell me it sucks.

 

[cigrmaster]

2012 Dunhill Flake in a Jack Howell Dublin.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Having Cornell & Diehl Pirate Kake in a Ropp Vintage Stout Sandblasted Squat Bulldog with Natural Horn Stem.

 

[dunnyboy]

Peterson Flake in a Castello 75th Anniversary Canadian.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

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).

View attachment 157688

That’s a lovely set.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking KBV Amsterdamer Flek #2 beta test in a medium bend fumed tan crackled year 2020 Ahmet Govem reverse calabash meerschaum with a military mount silver band and black acrylic stem. Making beta review notes.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

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.

Those Gold Coasts are a nice set! So were the 3 Lees.

Even as an admitted Lee addict, I think your assessment is accurate. I collect them because they’re an obscure defunct brand with a quirky following and history shrouded in mystery, solid smokers, and for factory pipes, very consistently drilled and true to classic shapes. Based on the ones I have I’d say they compare favorably to the same-era Kaywoodies, and better than most of the other factory pipes I’ve seen. Haven’t seen any 40s-50s Dunhills, for example, so…above average? Sure. Pipe nirvana? Hmm.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

View attachment 157707
This seven pointed two star first generation rusticated Lee is making a nice meal of some Plum Pudding Reserve. This particular Lee is was a hard clean. However, I find myself reaching for it more than I thought I would. View attachment 157708View attachment 157709

Hadn’t seen a Lee rusticated/carved Apple…nice!

 

[Dr. Van Loafer]

Smoked my first attempt at home blending (was melding for 7 months in a mason jar) in a country gentleman corncob. Homemade blend consisted of several virginias, latakia, and izmur. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not horrible. ??

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Roly, great bargain for golf course cigars from cigarpage.com for about $2.50 a stick.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking year 2018 Esoterica Dunbar in a smooth straight, dark brown early 1960s Lane era Charatan Selected 43 Dublin with a black vulcanite double comfort saddle stem. This pipe was formerly owned by actor William Conrad.

 

[WildTurkeySurprise]

My first time smoking GLP Caravan. Tastes good in this Nording Freehand. Amos Moses on lookout.

 

[alaskanpiper]

5 brothers in an Alaska Pipe Club 2022 Poker.

 

[krizzose]

2014 Mac Baren Club Blend in a Tinsky acorn

 

[otm]

C and D Anthology in my Castello Rhodesian