Interesting E. Wilke Estate Billiard

[huntertrw]

Recently I won the E. Wilke estate briar billiard pipe shown in the image below. Unlike the other Wilke pipes in my collection this one has raised nomenclature which reads, "E. Wilke N.Y.C." I have never before seen a pipe with raised nomenclature; typically it is stamped INTO the briar. Given this fact, I am curious as to how old this particular pipe might be, and whether anyone else has a Wilke (or any other brand for that matter) pipe with raised nomenclature.

Thank-you for your help with this!

 

[lonestar]

I don't know about the nomenclature, but that is an absolutely fantastic little Dublin!

 

[johnnyreb]

Hunter,
Can't tell from the picture just how uniform the raised nomenclature is, but can't refinishing work sometimes do that? Does the pipe appear to have been refinished at some point? I think heat from heavy puffing can cause the nomenclature to raise also but it would not be all neat & uniform like.

 

[papipeguy]

Maybe Carol Burns @ Pipeworks & Wilke can shed some light on this. It is a neat pipe and the grain looks straight to me. Good luck.

 

[huntertrw]

papipeguy:
Thank-you, I will contact Ms. Burns and pose the question to her. The grain is straight, and beautiful.
johnnyreb:
This pipe has not been refinished, and the nomenclature (when viewed via a lupe) is absolutely uniform. What puzzles me is that there is no apparent depression around it such as I would think there would be if a "reverse" stamp were used.
All:
Interestingly, the ferrule into which the stem is inserted is fabricated from Vulcanite formed around an externally threaded short aluminum tube which screws into the pipe's briar shank.

 

[tbradsim1]

Hunt that is a nice looking old soul. Hope you get your info on it.

 

[pitchfork]

That's curious about the nomenclature, but if the stem and ferule are original, that would be the best clue as to who made the pipe. Knowing that fact may or may not help with figuring out why the nomenclature is raised. Wilke pipes came from a number of different sources. Many of them, according to folklore, were made by Weber and other American mass producers. Others came from some of the British makers, I believe. Still others were handmade by a couple of American pipe makers (Stephen Johnson, maybe?) in the 60s and 70s. (I could be off on the dates there a bit.) Supposedly (again, according to folklore), the Wilke sisters were notorious for buying up every natural/lightly stained pipe they could get their hands on. I'm not sure whether the Wilke stamping was done in-house or by the various suppliers. Someone here will know.

 

[huntertrw]

lonestar:
My thanks to you for your correct identification of this pipe's shape as being a Dublin, as I incorrectly referred to it as a billiard.

 

[lonestar]

I have an older Kaywoodie that is nearly exactly this shape. It is completely different in how the cap is done, mine is the typical metal cap over briar and the stem is a taper versus saddle. Mine is a fantastic super light little pipe though, I love it.

 

[johnnyreb]

"This pipe has not been refinished, and the nomenclature (when viewed via a lupe) is absolutely uniform. What puzzles me is that there is no apparent depression around it such as I would think there would be if a "reverse" stamp were used."
With not even a border depression I'm at a loss then to know how the nomenclature could be raised. Even if done under pressure it seems to me the die would leave a border depression or edge.

 

[huntertrw]

johnnyreb:
I have sent a message to Ms. Carole Burns at Pipeworks & Wilke; perhaps she will be able to shed some light on this mystery concerning the stamping. In that same message I also asked her about the Vulcanite ferrule which I have never before seen on any pipe.

 

[johnnyreb]

Wonder if there is a way to put the die on the shank, then steam it to get the wood of the nomenclature to swell up and into the due cavity?

 

[huntertrw]

johnnyreb:
Your thought is good (and logical), and one which I had not considered.

 

[lonestar]

I also asked her about the Vulcanite ferrule which I have never before seen on any pipe.

Its more common than you would think. Usually the ferrules break over time unless they're supported with metal like this one.

 

[huntertrw]

Here is a better image of the pipe's nomenclature:

 

[johnnyreb]

Wow, that is nice & crisp. It seems like if it was steamed and swelled into a die that it would lose that crispness over time.

 

[kcvet67]

There is an old cabinetmakers technique that involved stamping a design into a tabletop or furniture panel. The board was then planed flat and put into a steam cabinet which caused the compressed wood to expand above the surface leaving the design raised. This may be something similar.

 

[huntertrw]

kcvet67:
The technique you mentioned is not one of which I have heard, but interesting nonetheless. Thank-you!

 

[tppytel]

Could it possibly be an applique of some sort? Or is the raised lettering clearly part of the wood? It's hard to tell from the pic.

 

[danielplainview]

Very interesting indeed. I've never seen a pipe with raised lettering. I'd like to know how that is done.