Baldo Baldi Smooth Hawkbill (Estate)

Baldo Baldi was one of those rare and extraordinary pipe makers who, like Bo Nordh or Tom Eltang, was so highly regarded that someone wrote an entire book about the man and his work (that book being Il sono Baldo Baldi, by the renowned architect, author, and Italian pipe authority, Diego Morlin).

Baldi was born in 1947 and died in 2021. He was trained as an artist and an architect, electing to pursue the latter for his career but, ultimately, he would end up instead becoming professional pipe maker, which he remained until his passing. Not unlike his contemporary Claudio Cavicchi, Baldi’s pipe making was born out of necessity—a necessity for more pipes, to which most of us can relate. Unlike Cavicchi, however, who began making pipes because they took too long to arrive, Baldi’s pipe making was a result of simply not having enough money for the ones he wanted—again, something very relatable. When his local tobacconists saw the pipes Baldi had made for himself, they were so enamored that they requested that he make pipes for them to sell in their stores. All of this took place while Baldi was still pursing his architectural studies, but a momentum would quickly build to the point where Baldi’s career as an architect was quickly usurped by a full-time pipe making vocation.

One of the shapes Baldi appears to have been quite fond of was the hawkbill, which would become something of a staple of modern Italian briars with the emergence of its high-end workshop scene. Some of Baldi’s renditions were quite typical of the genre, though plenty of others were hybrid forms, blending elements of other shapes to create classically inclined, yet distinctive designs. I’d call this one a “soft hawkbill,” as it isn’t quite as dramatic in curvature as some renditions, yet still possesses its hallmark profile. It’s by no means an easy shape to get right, which makes Baldi’s achievements in both shaping and graining, all the more impressive considering his low-tech approach.

The condition is great. Some minor finish fading and slight handling marks.

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.60″ / 40.64mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g