Randy Wiley Old Oak 55 Rusticated 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, five decades later. Though he does make some “traditional” pieces, he is, arguably America’s greatest living carver of “freehand” pipes, comparable to Denmark’s Preben Holm or Erik Nording in their prime. And, like Holm and Nording, Wiley has an array of signature finishes at his disposal, resulting in designs that occasionally border on the figural.

Speaking of the figural, the Old Oak is one of the lesser-seen series in Randy Wiley’s output and is, as the name implies, a finely detailed form of rustication imitating the outer bark of an oak tree. It’s a very fitting finish for a pipe but, as one can also understand, it’s rather labor-intensive to get right, hence why it’s more typically found in higher-end artisan pipes, such as those of Wiley, Paul Larrysson Hubartt, or Tatsuo Tajima, than factory makes. This one is a fairly stout and especially tall freehand example of the finish in action, paired with a similarly appropriate green acrylic mouthpiece.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and chamber slightly over-reamed, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 1.06″ / 26.92mm

Bowl Depth: 2.30″ / 58.42mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g