Why are pipes leather wrapped?

I think your insulation idea was probably the rationale, but I think it was mostly visual, eye candy, with the emphasis on tweedy and professorial. I remember when those pipes were a big fashion on the train platforms of suburban Chicago. A very swanky look with the narrow lapels and neckties and narrow snap brim hats, lining up for the smoking cars. Those were the days.

Also a great way to hide so-so briar to. LongChamps I believe...

Yeah, you gotta wonder what kind of crappy briar it's hiding.

Hiding flaws is the obvious reason. The other is they sell, there is a market.
My first pipe, 1965, was a meer lined, leather covered Ropp, which smoked like a dream. I was a very lucky neophyte pipe smoker. I still miss that pipe.

Some things are better left as unknowns. Mine smoked well and was fairly cheap, important factor for a college kid.

If you check out the 1970 Iwan Ries catalog you'll see pipes clad in leather, camel, alligator, snakeskin (cobra), faux-animal hide, kid skin, and even corduroy cloth! Some of these were sold with matching tobacco pouches.

I've got an encased 7 day set of Longchamps from the early 70's and the leather really insolates the bowls big time. They all smoke great and I don't think the briar is inferior at all. Longchamp was the first pipe I ever purchased back in 1983.

The briar under a wrap is most likely solid, just lacking visual appeal. I think this is particularly true with pipes from reputable makers. They're not putting their name on crap, just trying to get the most out of the briar they purchased.

Lack of eye appealing grain & lots of fills probably meant it was less labor intensive to wrap it in leather rather than fill & stain to finish.

i still have my leather bound pipe from the early 60's - cant find a name but even today it smokes great - the leather is dark from age -

i smoked erinmore exclusively in it & still do even today - i only wish the erinmore of today was as good as then. - even today's flake is not as good.

when i didnt smoke for years i would take up the pipe for the ghost taste & even today it still holds the flavour of the erinmore days after smoking.

i bought a leather bound cheapy a year ago for nostalgia but is is horrible.

savinelli has a line of very pricey leather bounds of varying colors but the 60;s i have is straight brown as leather should be.

some of the briar is exposed where the leather dried & opened along the stitching - no marks of any type no blemishes.
ah - the good old days - a couple of months ago i spotted an old codger with his pipe walking along happy as a pig in ... - believe it or not it was still his only pipe - it looked it but boy was he happy - we talked half an hour about his early pipe days - not many of those guys left.

i am 70 & he was just less than 90 according to him but probably over 90 - not that many blends to choose from back then.

just about the only place to smoke now up here in toronto canada is the sidewalk.
happy smoking guys