Randy Wiley Feather Carved Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

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.

For a long time now, one of Randy Wiley’s small, signature inclusions on many of his pipes has been spot carvings in the shape of a feather. I suppose one could think of it as the pipe equivalent of having a tasteful little tattoo, one understated enough to only be discovered on close inspection. This he pairs with his decades of expertise in carving freehands in the Danish-American vein, as seen in this straight grain, plateaux-topped beauty.

The condition is great. Minor inner rim darkening.

 

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.92 / 23.36mm

Bowl Depth: 1.79″ / 45.46mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g