Of the pipemakers that I know about, Bertram Saffering and Baldo Baldi were the two most famous and sought-after that used almost nothing but hand held tools. I did not get to visit Baldo in his workshop, but I did visit Bertram’s a number of times when he lived in Bolzano. He may have had a sander (I’m trying to remember ‘cause it was a number of years ago) but nothing else. This one is a number 3, with good straight grain on one side of the bowl and less good on the other. But, it’s the same great smoking briar and the condition of the pipe, a Grp. 6 size, is excellent, with a wide-open draw. Frankly, I can’t tell if the stem material is acrylic or vulcanite. I’m leaning toward acrylic.
5.55” long, bowl 2.2” tall. Weight: 1.5 oz., 44 grams.