LHS

Ludwig Stern, a successful pipe manufacturer since 1893 and closing around 1960, reorganized his company along with his brother Hugo Stern, opening a factory in 1911. They named the company L&H Stern Smoking Pipes & Holders. The newly formed company was moved into a six story building on the corner of Pearl and Waters street Brooklyn, NY. 
== Notes from Geyer's Stationer ==
Thoroughly organized in all departments, and housed in a well-lighted and ventilated modern office and manufacturing building, the firm of L&H Stern Inc. is located near the first arch of the Manhattan bridge, near the river and convenient to the Brooklyn bridge, which makes it accessible from all the hotels in the metropolis for visiting buyers. The structure is six stories with a seventeen-foot basement, with light on three sides through prismatic glass windows, the first floor being seven feet above the sidewalk. Light enters the upper floors from all four sides.
L&H Stern is known to every important wholesaler and jobber in the country. LHS manufactures a complete line of briar pipes. Ginmetto wood pipes are also made, as well as Redmanol goods, the man-made amber. The first substitute for amber. Everything, even down to the sterling silver and other metal trimmings are made under one roof.
LHS RedmanolStem Dave3.jpg|Example with Redmanol Stem (man-made amber)
LHS BakeliteStem Dave4.jpg|LHS Bakelite
L&H Stern advertised pipes at prices starting from $1 and topping out at $25. One Advertisement said: "Remember, any LHS is the best pipe in its class".
LHS FilterKingBoard Dave5.jpg|A display board of Entry level Filter Kings selling for $1
LHSSpecMake13.jpg|Ad for the Highest grade "Special Make", at $25
The brand had 8 pipe grades listed in the 1944 issue of Outdoor Magazine.
*Sterncrest Ultrafine $10.00
*Sterncrest 14K $7.50
*Sterncrest Sterling $5.00
*Certified Purex $3.50
*Select Grain $2.50
*Silvercrest $2.00
*Superfine Purex $1.50
*Sculpted Purex $1.50
In addition to the above grades, a 1944 catalog also listed the following lines and models:
*Barrister
*Marwyn
*Park Lane
*Radmanol
*Warwick
== Additional notes ==
Some models were made before, during, and after WWII. LHS was one of the main pipe supplier for US soldiers during WWII.
Pre-war pipes were stamped Real Briar Root, or Briar Root. Some war time pipes were made from domestic briar, or "American" briar and were void of any briar stampings. Many American pipe makers lost their over seas supply of Mediterranean briar shortly before and during the war. Post war pipes were stamped Imported Briar to assure customers that they were buying premium briar once again. 
LHS PreWarNomenclature Dave8.jpg
LHS PreWarNomenclature Dave9.jpg
LHS WartimeSuperfine Dave10.jpg
LHS WartimeSuperfine Dave11.jpg
LHS PostwarSuperfine Dave12.jpg
LHS PostwarSuperfineNomenclature Dave13.jpg
LHSPurexSuperfine.jpg
LHSPurexSuperfine2.jpg 
LHSPurexBulldog1.jpg
LHSPurexBulldog1.jpg
Many of their later Sterncrest pipes featured silver bands and some were made with 14kt. gold bands as well.
LHS PUREX Seasoned Briar Bulldog.JPG
LHS Purex Seasoned Briar.JPG
LHSSterncrest01.jpg
LHSSterncrest02.jpg
LHSSterncrest03.jpg
LHSSterncrest04.jpg
LHSSterncrest05.jpg
LHSSterncrest06.jpg
LHSSterncrest07.jpg
LHSSterncrest08.jpg
LHSSterncrest13.jpg
LHSSterncrest09.jpg
Sterncrest01.jpg
Sterncrest09.jpg
SterncrestPOW11.jpg
SterncrestPOW12.jpg
Sterncrest14K01.jpg
Sterncrest14K07.jpg
Sterncrest14K10.jpg
File:Texaco1.jpg|Texaco by Sterncraft
File:Texaco2.jpg|Texaco detail
LHS-Sterncraft1954YaleUniversityClassPipe2.jpg
LHS-Sterncraft1954YaleUniversityClassPipe3.jpg
LHSPurexSuperfine-Patent01.jpg|PUREX Superfine double patent, inlaid logos
LHSPurexSuperfine-Patent07.jpg|Double Patent detail
LHS Purex05.jpg
LHS Purex07.jpg
LHS Purex08.jpg
LHS Purex09.jpg
LHS Purex10.jpg
LHSCertPurex07.jpg
LHSCertPurex08.jpg
LHSPurex10.jpg
LHSPurex12.jpg
LHSParkLane01.jpg
LHSParkLane09b.jpg
LHSParkLane07.jpg
LHSParkLane07b.jpg
LHSBlueDot03.jpg|Puxex Blue Dot
LHSBlueDot11.jpg|Puxex Blue Dot Nomenclature
LHSSirRobert09.jpg|LHS Sir Robert
LHSSirRobert07.jpg|LHS Sir Robert Nomenclature
LHSSirRobert11.jpg|LHS Sir Robert Detail
LHS-SirRobert01.jpg|Another Sir Robert
LHS-SirRobert11.jpg|Sir Robert detail
LHSRareRustic05.jpg|Rare Rustic
LHSRareRustic07.jpg|Rare Rustic Nomenclature
File:LHS-RareRustic-01.jpg|Rare Rustic
File:LHS-RareRustic-07.jpg|Rare Rustic detail
File:LHS-RareRustic-08.jpg|Rare Rustic detail
LHSSpecMake07.jpg|Special Make Detail
LHSCaboose01.jpg|Caboose
LHSCaboose10.jpg|Caboose Nomenclaute
LHSPurexAllBriar01.jpg|Purex All Briar
LHSPurexAllBriar07.jpg|Purex All Briar Details
File:LHSPurex53-01.jpg|Patent #53 
File:LHSPurex53-07.jpg|53 detail
File:LHSPurex53-08.jpg|53 detail
LHS ParkLane Cumberland.jpeg|Park Lane Deluxe w/Cumberland
LHS ParkLane Cumberland2.jpeg|Park Lane Deluxe w/Cumberland
LHS ParkLane Cumberland3.jpeg|Park Lane Deluxe nomenclature
LHS CertifiedPurex.jpeg
LHS CertifiedPurex2.jpeg
LHS CertifiedPurex3.jpeg
LHS PurexPreferred3.jpeg|
LHS PurexPreferred2.jpeg|Preferred Purex had hand made Bakelite stems
LHS PurexPreferred.jpeg|original box and sock
LHS Lobby1.jpeg
LHS Lobby2.jpeg
LHS Lobby3.jpeg
LHS SpecialMake1.jpeg|Special Make
LHS SpecialMake2.jpeg|Counter Display with assortment
LHS SpecialMake3.jpeg|Sterncraft Counter Display with assortment
LHS SpecialMake4.jpeg|Purex Preferred Display
== Sources ==
*Tobacco: An illustrated weekly journal
*Geyer's Stations
*The Rotarian
== Catalog ==
*Thanks to Mike Starke for this copy of the 1946 LHS Catalog
== Budget Pipes Apparently Made by LHS ==
*Leader
*New Art
1933 Ad 02.jpg|From a 1933 N. Shure Co. Chicago Catalog showing New Art Pipes with LHS Logo
1940 Ad.jpg|From a 1940 Belknap Hardware & Manufacturing Co. Catalog showing Leader Pipes with LHS Logo
== Patents ==
LH Stern 1928 1587048.jpg|1928 Patenthttps://patents.google.com/patent/US1587048, courtesy Doug Valitchka
LHS1933Patent.jpg|1933 Patenthttps://patents.google.com/patent/US1908630, courtesy Doug Valithka
Many thanks to Dave Gossett for his assistance with this article. Dave has an extensive collection of L&H Stern pipes and related tobacciana, and has done extensive research on the firm.
== References ==
Category: Pipe makers by nationality
Category: United States
Category: Patent
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