Baldo Baldi XL Smooth Panel Dublin w/ Amber Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

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.

Baldo Baldi was not only skilled with briar and Lucite. For a select few of his works, he also applied himself to the careful carving of cultivated amber. One might say that he stood astride the centuries, having strong affinities with both the pioneering briar and meerschaum artisans of the 1800s as well as those in the post-war era. In the case of this one, even among Baldi’s work, it’s difficult to think of a pipe more deserving of such a luxurious supplement. Taking the form of a exceedingly large, yet surprisingly supple paneled Dublin, the bowl is absolutely covered in minute, “angel hair” striations of straight grain, with its prickly crown of live plateaux edge testifying to just how tightly organized that grain is. As something of a “cherry on top,” the pipe is a sturdy sitter, making for a mighty fine, eye-catching addition to one’s desk or mantlepiece when not in use.

This pipe is completely unsmoked and comes with its original sleeve.

Details:

Length: 6.4″ / 162.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 2.39″ / 60.70mm

Weight: 4.1oz / 118g