Randy Wiley for PCI 1986, Sea Reef Bent Stack Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Beginning his career as a pipe-maker in the 1970s, Randy Wiley was a key figure in the new wave of American artisans in the late-20th century pipe scene – and still is today, nearly 50 years later. Wiley’s pipes might be characterized as American freehand in style; though he has occasionally made more traditional pieces, his work is typically freeform, often employing different types of hand-rustication for his various finishes. The average Wiley is large, rugged, and a reliable smoker, each having been oil cured by Wiley in advance of its by-hand manufacture.

Just like some of the Stanwell, Becker, and American Smoking Pipe Company we’ve listed recently, this pipe has an important back story to it, so I’ll try to summarize that briefly as possible. In 1983, an American pipe collector named Bruce Spencer created a magazine for fellow pipe collectors, called Pipe Smoker. In tandem with Pipe Smoker, he founded Pipe Collectors International, a kind of pipe club that the magazine would be the publishing arm of. In 1984, PCI started releasing a yearly, limited edition pipe for its members, with the first being made by Preben Holm. And PCI took these pipes very seriously. Because they were meant to be collectors’ items, PCI kept a registry of all of the pipes that had been purchased, along with the member that had purchased them. If the pipe was sold on, PCI even asked that the previous owner contact them, so that their records of ownership could be updated, presumably so that a paper trail documenting the pipe’s provenance could be maintained. Ultimately, in 1989, PCI and Pipe Smoker were dissolved.

For 1986, the PCI Pipe of the Year was made by American artisan Randy Wiley. As seen here, it was a tall, bent “stack” billiard, dressed in Wiley’s signature Sea Reef rustication, with a half-saddle stem.

As with the other’s we’ve listed recently, this PCI Wiley is completely unsmoked, and comes with its original box, sleeve, and letter from PCI president Bruce Spencer. Each of these pipes came to us via our consignment program, and to be honest I’m really grateful that they did, as learning more about the PCI project as a result has been extremely enlightening, and the pipes have been a pleasure to see, too.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.86 / 21.84mm

Bowl Depth: 2.25″ / 57.15mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g