Baldo Baldi is a slightly mysterious citizen of the PipeWorld. He doesn't promote his pipes, particularly, just quietly cranks them out in his tiny Genoa workshop. The shapes are completely his own, and the grain of the wood he uses is often astonishing. (His highest grades sell for thousands of dollars.) As a result, he's on many collector's "must have" lists.
http://pipedia.org/wiki/Baldi
I was recently sent one of his pipes to have its stem replaced completely, since there was no other option. It was unrecoverable. (The original tenon had already been replaced once, and after a subsequent impact the repair itself failed---the body of the stem cracked where the Delrin replacement tenon had been inserted.)
Since I didn't have access to the original acrylic stem stock (I'm fairly certain it is something Baldo casts himself), the owner decided to go with Tortuga tortoise shell for #2. It's a bit darker, but very richly figured, and looks like something Baldo might have used himself if he'd made the pipe on a different day.
Because of the previous tenon breakage problems---it's a large and fairly heavy pipe---I thought it best to reinforce the new one with SS tubing.
Turned out well, I think. :D
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http://pipedia.org/wiki/Baldi
I was recently sent one of his pipes to have its stem replaced completely, since there was no other option. It was unrecoverable. (The original tenon had already been replaced once, and after a subsequent impact the repair itself failed---the body of the stem cracked where the Delrin replacement tenon had been inserted.)
Since I didn't have access to the original acrylic stem stock (I'm fairly certain it is something Baldo casts himself), the owner decided to go with Tortuga tortoise shell for #2. It's a bit darker, but very richly figured, and looks like something Baldo might have used himself if he'd made the pipe on a different day.
Because of the previous tenon breakage problems---it's a large and fairly heavy pipe---I thought it best to reinforce the new one with SS tubing.
Turned out well, I think. :D
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