Baldo Baldi Grade 3

Baldo Baldi wakes up at 5:30 every morning, when the faint lights of the sunrise linger on the sea of Quarto, Genova. He makes his coffee, looks after the several vases of camelias on his terrace, then he lights carefully the first of six-seven daily pipes, smoking a mixture of St. Bruno Flake and Park Lane n° 7. Just the time to focus the night intuitions, then he leaves for working! Baldo is used to spend whole days in his workshop in via del Chiapparo, typical Genoese “croesa”, at a few hundreds steps from his house. It is a microcosm that evokes a XVsec Bottega atmosphere, where in an authentical kaleidoscope of tools, blocks of briar, colours and sawdust, nothing could be done quickly: every pipe takes his time to come out.

Baldo does not make more than 150 pipes per year; he is aware to conceive and realize pipes for smoking and collectible, famous all around the world, for the original shapes, quality of materials and maniacal care of details.

Love for pipes begun far in 1966 when he started making some few pipes for friends. During 70’s he decided to stop working as Architect (as he studied for) and he devoted his whole life to pipemaking. Since that time he has never stopped to amaze enthusiasts and collectors.

Baldo’s pipe are made with Ligurian briar, from Badalucco and Arma di Taggia and it has been seasoned for 20-25 years in his workshop. He spends hours trying to find the best shape for each block of briar, working the pipe as a real sculpture, with asymmetric volumes, sometimes with a cubist inspiration. Baldo has also created a special series of pipes dedicated to some of his most love architects, artists or movement: Antony Gaudì, Salvador Dalì, Giacomo Balla, or Cubism, Baroque... He only uses files, rasps and sandpaper to make his pipes. In his workshop you cannot find other electric tools if not a drilling and a polishing machine. Mouthpieces are hand made with lucite; sometimes he uses cultivated amber. Only few pipes are mounted with 18K Gold or Steling Silver bands.

The price range of Baldo Baldi pipes is from Euros 500.00 up to Euros 4,000.00, everything stamped with the new grading system, recently introduced.