Randy Wiley Galleon Rusticated Freehand Estate Briar Pipe

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.

One of the things I greatly admire about Randy Wiley is that, though he’s been carving freehand pipes for five decades, he’s done so in such a great variety of styles. In this way, he’s very close to Preben Holm, whose explorations of the freehand genre were even more vast than many realize. This Wiley is from his “Galleon” collection, each of which features a stony rustication not unlike the great Italian workshops and their marine-themed finishes. This one also features a lovely amber-like ferrule and a stem of white Lucite.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and very slight finish fading.

 

Details:

Length: 6.8″ / 172.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.62″ / 41.14mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g