The Pipes Baldo Baldi Pipes: Grade 2

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"Perfect and inspired beauty. A work of art that is a testimony to the elegance of pure and clean curves."  A Baldi collector.

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Quick guide to Baldi's Grading System (Left-Right : Low-High)
000	00	0	1	2	3	B	BB	BBB	1 Crown	2 Crown	3 Crown

• Baldo Baldi, an architect by education, has been making some of the world's most spectacular pipes in tiny workshop close to his house in the center of Genova for over 40 years.
• He uses extremely old and well seasoned briar from Liguria, in Italy, and Province, in southern France.
• The B. Baldi pipes are as hand made as imaginable. Most of the work is done with files and sandpaper. It takes Baldo anywhere from one day to months to make a pipe, depending on the complexity of the design. To get a glimpse of how Baldo makes his pipes, have a look at the Baldo Workshop.
• The Baldi pipes are stamped B. Baldi, preceded (or followed) by the symbol of a pipe, with smoke coming out of it. In addition, each pipe carries one of Baldi's 12 grades.

 

Pipe Code: BB050 Price: CHF 1,250.00  Convert Shape: Freehand Weight: 56g / 1-31/32 oz Chamber ø: 21.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 36mm  --  Wall Thickness:  11mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: If you are as irritated as I am with "Freehand" as a shape definition as I am, then go on reading. The shape is quite unusual in that it combines different features that can be associated with different shapes. For example, the bowl comes pretty close to the idea of the Poker, while the shank resembles that of a Canadian. But, there is a lot more to it than that. For example, the bowl top and base are both slanted, and the bowl, as a whole, is canted forward. The shank, while flat, it is very wide and tapered (it goes from 22m in width at the bowl-shank join down to 18.5mm at the shank-mouthpiece joint). You start to see more of the shape design when you put the pipe on a flat surface. The pipe is kind of arched, with the bowl base and the final part of the mouthpiece touching the surface, while the shank and the initial part of the mouthpiece are not touching and so, creating the arch effect. As for the grain and the stain, I have to admit that the pictures are terrible and they don't even come close to showing the true beauty of the gain and the stain that Baldo picked for this particular pipe. The grain is a gorgeous, consistent Flame Grain, with some spectacular Bird's Eye on the bowl and shank top. Judging by Baldi's standard, this is relatively a small pipe. Indeed I would compare the tobacco chamber capacity to that of a Dunhill Group 4.

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Pipe Code: BB051 Price: CHF 1,250.00  Convert Shape: Freeform Bell Weight: 38g / 1-11/32 oz Chamber ø: ->21.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 35mm  --  Wall Thickness:  ->13mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: I must admit that I was surprised to see this pipe, mainly because it's quite unusual in both design and size for a Baldi pipe. The pipe is very delicate in design, and yet, it's quite robust and very much traditional in overall appearance. The bowl is indeed shapes like a bell, with the base being flat. The flattened base of the both bowl and shank allows the pipe to stand still on a flat surface without support. A very important feature here is the long shank; it measures 54mm (or 2.13 inches) long, which is almost double what you would expect. Baldo then chose an elegant, handcut, tapered Cumberland mouthpiece and gave a tiny bend to offer optimal visual and practical balance. The grain is predominantly Flame Grain around the bowl, with fantastic Bird's Eye on the bowl top as well as the shank top and base. In addition, and when you look at the bowl from the top, you notice that it is slight oval, measuring 42.5mm x 45.5mm (1.67 x 1.79 inches). The tobacco chamber is comparable to a Dunhill Group 2-3, which is most unusual for Baldi pipes. The chamber is also quite conical in shape, starting at a width of 21.5mm at the top and going down to maybe 12mm at the base.

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Pipe Code: BB052 Price: CHF 1,250.00  Convert Shape: Barrel Weight: 62g / 2-3/16 oz Chamber ø: 21.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 40mm  --  Wall Thickness:  12mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: It is quite rare for me to get the chance to describe a pipe as a "Barrel", let alone doing so with such confidence and conviction. I have known Baldo for at least 12 years, and I believe I know his pipes so well. Yet, I don't recall ever seeing a Baldi pipe in this shape. A Barrel, yes, but not like this one. You see, Baldo created a slanted, flat bowl base, which automatically causes the bowl to look slightly canted forward. The bowl base is quite tall (thick) measuring about 12mm; when you see that, you wonder how well the maker drilled the draught hole. Well, Baldo did a great job, with the draught hole exit into the bowl landing smack on the base of the chamber and dead center. The shank is slightly tapered, measuring 18mm (0.71") at the bowl-shank joint and going down to 15mm (0.59") at the shank-mouthpiece joint. The mouthpiece is black acrylic and it is in the rare Fishtail style. The pipe is quite representative of Baldo's work, being so robust, with so much wood all over. The grain is good but not exceptional. What is truly exceptional and rare is the fact that I looked and looked and looked, and I still couldn't find any sandpits, of any size or shape, anywhere on the pipe. Wait a minute, actually, there are two tiny sandpits at the base of the shank.

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Pipe Code: BB053 Price: CHF 1,250.00  Convert Shape: Freeform Apple Weight: 53g / 1-7/8 oz Chamber ø: 21.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 38mm  --  Wall Thickness:  12mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: This is one of those times when I just can't feel happy with my shape definition, and yet, I can't come up with a better one. Having said that, I believe that the Apple is indeed the closest one to what I see here. It's kind of a squatted Apple, an Apple with the top chopped off a little. The pipe, however, has so much more to offer, and there are many reason why it is so distinctive and unique. Of course, the most evident of the special features is the extra long and WHITE, tapered mouthpiece. I tend to be rather conservative when it comes of a mouthpiece of a color other than black or Cumberland. However, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for white when it is used with the right shape and finish. You might at first think the mouthpiece is made out of Bakelite, but it's white acrylic. What makes the bowl even more unique than the mouthpiece is the incredible grain. The grain is absolutely fabulous, especially at the right-hand side (see the second photo from left, first row). The grain is so fine and tight it comes pretty close to the rare Italian term "capelli d'angelo" (angel's hairs) which is used to describe the best of regular, fine, and tight grain. The shank is flat and it flows beautifully from the bowl onto the shank. Baldo, as always, did a magnificent job shaping the joint between the bowl and the shank, which is known to be one of the hardest things to get right, particularly when you have a round bowl and a flat shank. While the pipe overall seems compact, the tobacco chamber is easily comparable in size to that of a Dunhill Group 5.

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Pipe Code: BB054 Price: CHF 1,250.00  Convert Shape: Freeform Dublin Weight: 55g / 1-15/16 oz Chamber ø: 22.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 36mm  --  Wall Thickness:  ->15mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: The term "Freeform Dublin" is a major understatement. The pipe has so much more to offer than that, but I'd like to remind you that my shape definition is not meant to describe the pipe but simply to give an accurate a description of as a two-word combination permits. The pipe is definitely in the Dublin family, even if you see it more as a "Bell" than a Dublin due to the apparently difference in diameter between the bowl top and base. First of all, the bowl is squashed in from the sides, creating an oval shape; the bowl measures in width 43.5 x 50mm. The tobacco chamber does not follow the shape oval shape; in fact, the tobacco chamber diameter is 22mm from both sides. The chamber, however, is tapered, which means that it starts wide at the top and gradually decreases the further down it goes into the bowl. What I really, really love here is the gorgeous walnut stain, which managed to bring out the incredible grain of the pipe. The bowl shows absolutely fabulous Straight/Flame Grain, with some incredible, INCREDIBLE, Bird's Eye on the bowl top. The black, tapered mouthpiece, I think, is the best choice for this shape, since it adds a clear touch of classicality. The tobacco chamber can be compared in its capacity to that of a Dunhill Group 3-4, which is quite impressive, considering how large Baldi pipes normally are. This would make the pipe a perfect candidate for those who smoke pressed tobaccos.

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