Italian Flag InfoWell: Guides
A Guide to the Duca Pipe Grading System ©

Duca Pipes Logo


On this page: General Info. Grading System Collection

Check out the currently available Duca pipes: DP Snapshot .

 

All the Duca pipes are stamped:
  • Il Duca
  • Italy
  • The grade name, plus "D", "DD", or "DDD".

The following factors are taken into consideration when grading a Duca pipe:
  • The shape and the degree of difficulty it presents.
  • The grain.
  • The shape and how unique and distinctive it is.
  • Accessories used, such as wooden inserts, bamboo, silver/gold bands, etc.
  • Sometimes size may be taken into consideration if a pipe is unusually large in size.

Please note the following:
  1. Massimiliano Rimensi, the Duca pipe maker, uses a wide range of materials for mouthpieces and inserts. In most case, these do not have a direct effect on the grade or the price.
  2. A pipe with a dark(er) stain should not be interpreted as a sign of mediocre quality or grain. Rimensi chooses the best possible stain to bring out the natural grain of the pipe as much as possible. All the stains used are natural.

[Back To Top]


 

Please note that the following photos are meant to be only illustrative.

The Duca Pipe Grading System
Finish Grade Description Sample
Nobile D Entirely Rusticated
Nobile DD Entirely Rusticated
Nobile DDD Partially Rusticated
Barone D Entirely Sandblasted
Barone DD Entirely Sandblasted
Barone DDD Partially Sandblasted
Cavaliere D Smooth
Cavaliere DD Smooth
Cavaliere DDD Smooth
Conte D Straight Grain
Conte DD Straight Grain
Conte DDD Straight Grain
and/or
Unique Design
Duca D Straight Grain
and/or
Unique Design
Duca DD Straight Grain
and/or
Unique Design
Duca DDD Straight Grain
and
Unique Design
[Back To Top]



 

Duca Collection Pipes
These are pipes that present the highest level of complexity in both design and execution. For a pipe to deserve the term Collection , it has to be unique in shape or grain, or the two combined. In most cases, ornaments, such as inserts, bands, rings, etc., of the best possible and most intriguing materials, will be added to complement and enhance the design.
The best testimony of the quality of this series is its rarity.
PS: Only pipes in the Collection series carry the stamp of the Duca Pipe logo (the "D" with the crown, which you can see a picture of above).
Please note that the above pipe is only a sample of the Collection series.
[Back To Top]









  -