The Pipes Baldo Baldi Pipes: Grade BBB

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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: BB064 Price: CHF 3,150.00  Convert Shape: Freehand Weight: 73g / 2-9/16 oz Chamber ø: ->23.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 47mm  --  Wall Thickness:  11-26mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: When a shape is a confirmed freehand and is complicated in so many ways, it becomes not only hard to comment on it, but the comment itself becomes, and in most cases, superfluous. For this reason, and in the case of such pipes, I make sure I include as many pictures as possible. This pipe here, and the others to following on this page, most definitely fall into this category. So, I will comment only on those aspects that may add to and support the pictures without giving your reason to go: "Duh"! This pipe clearly illustrates Baldo's architectural and artistic background, knowledge, and sense. The bowl has three distinct lines that contain its mass, and at the same time, dictate its route. One line runs on the outer side of the bowl and around it vertically and onto the shank base; we can call this the pipe "baseline". The other two lines start at the opposite side of the bowl, the one facing the shank, and run at a tight angle down the bowl, on to the two sides of the bowl, at the base, and like the main line, vanish into the shank, which, gradually, becomes perfectly round. To capture the main idea behind the design, the best way to view the pipe is from the top, since the two sides give a rather simple, and straightforward design. The true genius here lies in how effortlessly and naturally a line disappears, after having imposed its presence with courage, confidence, and determination. I wondered for a while why Baldo decided to make the saddle mouthpiece with two panels on the sides. My conclusion is that he wanted to create some contrast with the overall shape of the bowl, while maintaining the basic idea of lines, as a defining principle. I might be reading too much into this aspect, but, hey, after all, this is what I do for a living here! I won't comment on the grain, which I hope you can clearly see in the pictures, particularly, the magnificent Bird's Eye on the bowl top.

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Pipe Code: BB065 Price: CHF 3,150.00  Convert Shape: Plateau Freehand Weight: 79g / 2-25/32 oz Chamber ø: 23.5mm  --  Chamber Depth: 50mm  --  Wall Thickness:  ->21mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: The bowl itself here, while being definitely a clear indication of a Freehand, doesn't, in and by itself, present a shape that is so out of the ordinary. Many makers from all over the world make that shape. The true Baldi talent and skill and vision start to come out and throw us off when we concentrate on the shank and later the mouthpiece. Let me elaborate. The bowl is mainly round (round-ish), starting quite wide in diameter at the bowl rim and going down for about three quarters of the bowl height. It is at the last quarter and when the bowl starts getting ready to meet and accommodate the shank, that 8 discreet, and yet pronounced, lines make their appearance. Then, the lines get out of control and lose their straight direction and start wrapping themselves around the shank, while causing the shank to take shape. In order words, we move from a round bowl to a fluted shank. The 8 lines, creating 8 concave panels, turn around themselves, without meeting one another at any point, till they disappear into thin air at the end of the shank. Their life may have been brief, but it sure left a big mark: The unique shape you have here! When you look at the pipe, particularly the last part of the shank before the mouthpiece joins in, and having the mouthpiece between you the pipe (see, second picture, from left, third row, for example), you realize that the shank looks like a serrated, double-blade knife, with Bird's Eye staring you in the eye, and Flame Grain teasing you from a distance, with a hint of the gorgeous plateau top. The mouthpiece is designed to be elegant but not vain; it was designed to complement without imposing. Indeed, that part of the mouthpiece, coming out of this massive, flat piece of briar, that is the end of the shank, measures a mere 8mm (0.32 of an inch) in diameter, while that shank wall, that is the base into which the mouthpiece is insert, measures a staggering 40mm (1.58 inches) across, diagonally, from the top, right-hand corner to the bottom, left-hand angle. I used to wonder why I get the distinct feeling that I'm crazy when I write comments about Baldi pipes. With this comment, I'm starting to know why!

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Pipe Code: BB066 Price: CHF 3,150.00  Convert Shape: Freehand Weight: 111g / 3-29/32 oz Chamber ø: 22mm  --  Chamber Depth: 45mm  --  Wall Thickness:  ->30mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: When I first saw this pipe, one phrase came to mind: A freak of nature! The reason for this weird impression was based on some commonplace, visual expectations on my part. I expected the bowl to turn at a particular place but it didn't! After a bit of time, I had to give in and open my mind. It's the element of surprise, of mystery and of unexpectancy that is at the very base and heart of the shape design. This is the kind of lack of normality that cannot be born by accident or by mistake. The shape-determining lines, curves, and turns are all testimony of a clear vision and a deliberate sense of symmetry. Probably the Japanese concept of symmetry, as best achieved in lack thereof, that dominates Baldo's design concept, expressed through this particular pipe. Enough with gibberish, and let me turn to the English language! If you draw a straight line from the center of the bowl top down to the bowl base, you end up with two asymmetrical shapes (i.e., halves, left and right). The outer side (the one opposite that which is facing the shank) protrudes a little too much in regards to the other side (the one facing the shank). This is the first of many aspects that determine the shape. Another aspect is the rectangular shank, which stems out of the side of the bowl, with no visual transition at all. Having said that, the base of the shank flows so naturally and smoothly from the rounded bowl base (notice the contrast of the two words "rectangular" and "round"). When you place the pipe on a flat surface, you realize that it is only the bowl that is touching, while most of the shank and the whole of the mouthpiece are suspended in the air, with so much balance and grace. The mouthpiece starts adopting the rectangular shape of the shank (it has to), but soon it goes back to the bowl shape and in so doing, it slowly accommodates and reflects and complements the concept of "round" as opposed to "rectangular". Once again, I bid you farewell at this point, trusting that the pictures are numerous and good enough to give you a good idea of the equally astonishingly beautiful grain all over the pipe.

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Pipe Code: BB067 Price: CHF 3,150.00  Convert Shape: Freehand Weight: 103g / 3-5/8 oz Chamber ø: 22mm  --  Chamber Depth: 50mm  --  Wall Thickness:  ->30mm  --  Cleaner Passes? Yes An alternative way to view all the pictures of this pipe is: The SlideShow.

COMMENT: The complexity of this shape (one of my absolute favorites), lies in the unsurpassed combination of contrasting design elements; it offers the "sharp lines", the "triangular", the "square", the "flat", the "paneled", the "concave", etc. You see what I mean! All this, of course, means that you look at the pipe from a particular side or angle, you get a shape; you change to another, and you get another shape. Now, this is not the true achievement. The genius becomes evident when you examine the pipe as a whole and you fail to find anything that is out of place or that disturbs the fluidity of the design. The bowl top is massive, with two curved edges (at the sides), a straight, share edge (facing the shank), and an elongated S-shape, with a pointed head and a rounded base. The bowl, from the two sides, shows the "Bell" shape, a pyramid upside down. You look at the bowl, with the mouthpiece between you and the shank, and you see that side of the bowl being shaped as a rectangular panel, at an angle, with two "pillars" (legs) that ties that part with the rest of the bowl and goes below the shank level. At the fourth side of the bowl, the shape is that of an elongated groove that is rounded into the rest of the bowl at one side, and forming a share edge, at the other. The shank comes with 5 different panels, varying in width and shape (some are flat while other are slightly concave). It is mind-boggling how Baldo managed to make the bowl and the shank meet so majestically, considering their very contrasting and almost contradictory shapes and design tendencies. The shank is quite long, measuring about 58mm (2.28"). The short, Fishtail mouthpiece is of such a delicate, elegant design; it does complement the overall shape (in fact, I think it is absolutely perfect for the shape). The pipe is quite large, and though the mouthpiece is short, the pipe feels so well balanced in the hand. The grain is a clear indication of the incredible quality of the briar that Baldo selects himself. The MASSIVE Bird's Eye alone is indeed music to the eyes!

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