I have been looking at a Randy Wiley pipe and am about the pull the trigger, but I thought I'd see if anyone has any comments about his pipes that might help me decide whether to take the plunge. Any recommendations, pro or con, will be appreciated.
Randy Wiley Pipes
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I've owned three different Wiley pipes and have traded off all three. Others will probably disagree, but I thought they were poor smokers and very heavy as compared to other similarly sized pipes. I kept buying them thinking that it was me, or that I just got a bad pipe, but no, I gave him three chances and all three smoked poorly. If you decide to buy one I hope your experience is better than mine.
This is the pipe I was looking at. It is at the upper limit of weight for my preferences. I have about decided not to buy. I was taken by its unusual look. Randy Wiley pipe
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I will not down grade anyone's pipes on this forum, I have 1 Wiley Large Freehand, Middle Grade, You can do better, nuff said. The old cajun
I have two Wiley pipes. Both are fairly new and have about 10 - 15 bowls each. So far I am happy with them and they are smoking better with each bowl. They are on the heavy side buy I smoke them when I am sitting around relaxing so it is not a problem. They are not as good smokers as my Scott Thile pipe but the were about 1/3 the price. I am pretty sure he stands behind his pipes so if you are not happy I think he would work with you to make things right. Hope this is helpful.
After looking at the posts made so far, I am swinging back toward buying the Wiley pipe. I appreciate the replies to my original post and hope there will be a couple more in the next day or two.
I have two Wiley pipes, one that I love in terms of looks and the other not so much. I had ordered both online. I am really disappointed with the quality of the tenons in both pipes. One one of the pipes, the fit between the tenon and stem of the pipe is so loose that the pipe can fall out. The tenon on the other pipe is also loose but not as bad, but you can see the poor work done on the tenon - it is wavy instead of straight and smooth. As a result, neither smokes particularly well because a high level of moisture collects in the space between the stem and the tenon (it's like collecting tobacco juice!). Will never again buy a Wiley. I have 4 Old Nellie Pipes (very damn high quality especially for the price; beautiful craftsmanship and quality stems and tenons), 1 Pablo Becker, 1 PS Studio (the Russkis are putting out some fine pipes!), 1 Cavicchi, and 1 Radice. I have no problems with any of them in terms of tenon-to-stem fit. I also have a Peterson, which is half the price of the Wileys, and no problem with that tenon either. Compared to my either pipes, though, smoking with the Peterson tastes like licking plywood.
I have a lot of RW pipes about 12 all great smokers :
:
Randy has been making pipes since the mid 1970s and currently produces about 1000 pipes per year. He uses Grecian Plateau and Ebauchon briar. He treats the briar with hot oil to enhance its beauty and smoking qualities. Previous to pipe making, he pursued an art degree in college, worked as a carpenter, and met wood Sculptor Ray Holt (Pappy), with whom he served a two year apprenticeship. He worked for two years for a Florida based pipe company before striking out on his own. The Ovation is Randy's top of the line pipe.
:Randy has been making pipes since the mid 1970s and currently produces about 1000 pipes per year. He uses Grecian Plateau and Ebauchon briar. He treats the briar with hot oil to enhance its beauty and smoking qualities. Previous to pipe making, he pursued an art degree in college, worked as a carpenter, and met wood Sculptor Ray Holt (Pappy), with whom he served a two year apprenticeship. He worked for two years for a Florida based pipe company before striking out on his own. The Ovation is Randy's top of the line pipe.
Hi
A few questions I would ask are which generation of Wiley’s pipes did these gentleman own, what grade and did they purchase a new pipe or a second(estate) hand (or repaired) pipe?
There were a few pipes Wiley made early on, with Edwards and later on his own, that left something to be desired (The majority were good smokers but his craft was not fully realized). He also had a line of seconds(I believe he no longer produces these) called RVW that were hit and miss but understandably so. However as he has matured his pipes have become far more consistent,beautiful and solid smokers. I own a number of each generation of his pipes, around ~30 total. Every pipe I own from his more mature years is a winner* (18-20 pipes in my collection) though granted few of them are his lowest grade. If you are wondering how to distinguish between them you can often tell by looking at the stamp. The later pipes have a stamp that typically includes Wiley’s name in cursive, the name of the product line, and a more complex grading system (and other information) than the earlier versions which have Wiley’s signature in block print and less developed grading system and information. In the aformentioned transitional period you might find the pipes built before and right after to be less consistent than later. Even so hopefully this can serve as a general guide to eliminate a few pipes on the estate/second hand market at least until you become more familiar. As to stem or tenon problems, I have encountered only two Wiley’s with a loose stem or any issues of the sort. They were both from his earlier line and estate pipes. This leads me to the second issue; if you buy an estate or second hand pipe do not be surprised if it does not perform like the original. You can never be sure what work has been done to the pipe beforehand or the pipe’s wear and tear. All I can say if you follow the advice above or purchase a new Wiley for insurance, I believe your experience will be positive. Also I do not discount the negative reviews out of hand for there might be occasional aberrations, though more questions should be asked before coming to a conclusion.
Best
Q
*The Wiley pipes described here have been excellent smokers, cool to the touch, draw well etc. He oil cures the bowl like Dunhill. So the new pipes I have tried broke in very easily. Wiley is old school in a number of his pipe making techniques (less short cuts) and many if not all of these later Wileys have handmade stems……Hard to beat for the price.
A few questions I would ask are which generation of Wiley’s pipes did these gentleman own, what grade and did they purchase a new pipe or a second(estate) hand (or repaired) pipe?
There were a few pipes Wiley made early on, with Edwards and later on his own, that left something to be desired (The majority were good smokers but his craft was not fully realized). He also had a line of seconds(I believe he no longer produces these) called RVW that were hit and miss but understandably so. However as he has matured his pipes have become far more consistent,beautiful and solid smokers. I own a number of each generation of his pipes, around ~30 total. Every pipe I own from his more mature years is a winner* (18-20 pipes in my collection) though granted few of them are his lowest grade. If you are wondering how to distinguish between them you can often tell by looking at the stamp. The later pipes have a stamp that typically includes Wiley’s name in cursive, the name of the product line, and a more complex grading system (and other information) than the earlier versions which have Wiley’s signature in block print and less developed grading system and information. In the aformentioned transitional period you might find the pipes built before and right after to be less consistent than later. Even so hopefully this can serve as a general guide to eliminate a few pipes on the estate/second hand market at least until you become more familiar. As to stem or tenon problems, I have encountered only two Wiley’s with a loose stem or any issues of the sort. They were both from his earlier line and estate pipes. This leads me to the second issue; if you buy an estate or second hand pipe do not be surprised if it does not perform like the original. You can never be sure what work has been done to the pipe beforehand or the pipe’s wear and tear. All I can say if you follow the advice above or purchase a new Wiley for insurance, I believe your experience will be positive. Also I do not discount the negative reviews out of hand for there might be occasional aberrations, though more questions should be asked before coming to a conclusion.
Best
Q
*The Wiley pipes described here have been excellent smokers, cool to the touch, draw well etc. He oil cures the bowl like Dunhill. So the new pipes I have tried broke in very easily. Wiley is old school in a number of his pipe making techniques (less short cuts) and many if not all of these later Wileys have handmade stems……Hard to beat for the price.
Just pulled the trigger on an estate Wiley from SmokingPipes. Should be here by the weekend. Can't wait for it to get here!
Just pulled the trigger on an estate Wiley from SmokingPipes. Should be here by the weekend. Can't wait for it to get here!
Just pulled the trigger on an estate Wiley from SmokingPipes. Should be here by the weekend. Can't wait for it to get here!
Just pulled the trigger on an estate bulldog by Randy Wiley. Can't wait for it to get here and have a bowl in it!
I apologize for the multiple posts. I was posting on my phone and an error came up. Admins feel free to delete the duplicates.
As for the pipe it smoked amazingly! The draw on it was effortless. I was looking for another big bowl for aromatics and this one is just that. The bowl is very comfortable in the hand. The stem is cut very well. Nice and comfortable to clench. I would highly recommend pulling the trigger on a Wiley that strikes your fancy, especially estates because of the great price.
As for the pipe it smoked amazingly! The draw on it was effortless. I was looking for another big bowl for aromatics and this one is just that. The bowl is very comfortable in the hand. The stem is cut very well. Nice and comfortable to clench. I would highly recommend pulling the trigger on a Wiley that strikes your fancy, especially estates because of the great price.
You can say that again. LOL.
Glad you like your Wiley. A Wiley 1/4 bent billiard with a bead line (not really a Rhodesian, but anyway...) was my first handmade pipe. Everything was spot-on perfect in terms of construction, but the draught was too narrow for me, and I sold it. Still, he makes some really solid pipes if you find a shape that you like. And the prices are reasonable.
Do you have a pic of the new pipe?
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