CW Gray 81 XL Smooth Freehand Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

I will confess, I’m not sure I know of a pipe maker who goes, or went by, CW Gray, though I have a hunch that they were an American freehand carver. This comes partly from the name, though it also comes from the style of the pipe. After all, from around the 1960s and 1970s onward, there was an explosion of American freehand pipes influenced by the Danish freehand movement. While there are plenty of figures associated with the early American scene who are well known today, such as Randy Wiley, Michael Kabik, Jack Weinberger, and Tim West, there were countless others who did not quite achieve the same level of renown—at least, not in the long term. While “Gray” might have been a fitting name as regards recognition, the pipe is anything but that. Whoever they were, they certainly knew how to carve a pipe, with this one being not only exquisitely grained, but also exceedingly large and a sturdy sitter, which is a combination well worth celebrating.

This pipe is completely unsmoked. I notice some slight chatter on the end of the mouthpiece, which may simply be minor wear from oxidation, or the previous owner giving it a slight “test clench” at some point in time.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 1.01 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 2.10″ / 25.65mm

Weight: 4.5oz / 130g