The Pipes Duca Pipes: Barone (Sandblasted)

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• Massimiliano (Max) Rimensi, the maker of the Duca Pipes is a self-taught pipe maker. He loves working with different woods, and his imagination and creativity seem be boundless. As you can see from his models and designs, Max brings a fresh breeze into the Italian pipe market.
  
• All Duca pipes are stamped "Il Duca", "Italy", and the grade (Nobile, Barone, Cavaliere, Conte, and Duca, followed by "D", "DD", or "DDD"). For a complete guide to Duca pipes grading system, please go to: Duca Grading Guide.

 

Nomenclature:  DD Mouthpiece:  Acrylic/Lucite Size:  Dunhill Gr. 4, ca.

Pipe Code: DP041 Price: CHF 260.00   Shape: Cutty Weight: 39g / 1-3/8 oz Chamber ø: 21mm -- Chamber Depth: 44mm -- Wall Thickness: 9-10mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes

COMMENT: I don't know why, but I have always felt that the "Cutty" shape, with the little flat heel, is associated in my mind with aristocracy. This means that it fits perfectly into the Duca pipe assortment; after all, "duca" means "duke" in Italian, and the names of the different grades are aristocratic titles! The pipe is quite conservative from a design point of view, with a black, tapered mouthpiece. Apart from a small, visible sandpit on one side of the shank, lower part, the blast shows wonderful grain with flaws in the wood.

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Nomenclature:  DDD Mouthpiece:  Acrylic/Lucite Size:  Dunhill Gr. 6, ca.

Pipe Code: DP033 Price: CHF 320.00   Shape: Freehand Weight: 68g / 2-13/32 oz Chamber ø: 23mm -- Chamber Depth: 45mm -- Wall Thickness: ->21mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes

COMMENT: The pipe is technically semi-blasted, though most of it is in a smooth finish. Not only is it mainly smooth, but it exhibits absolutely wonderful Flame Grain, that, according to many people out there, should be described as Straight Grain. The sandblasted part of the bowl confirms the superiority and excellent quality of the grain by showing a wonderful pattern of Ringblast. The shape design is a very, very important part of the description of the pipe. The pipe has so many unique touches that the only fair and accurate way to define it is by the use of Freehand. When you look at the pipe from above, the shape that is most evident is that of an "eye". If you look around the bowl, you also see that it has not two, but four different panels. The shank is tapered in shape, and unlike the bowl, it comes with three different panels varying in the shape, length, and width. No comment can ever be complete without drawing your attention to the breathtaking Bird's Eye on the bowl top.

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Nomenclature:  DDD Mouthpiece:  Acrylic/Lucite Size:  Dunhill Gr. 1, ca.

Pipe Code: DP042 Price: CHF 320.00   Shape: Lovat Weight: 27g / 15/16 oz Chamber ø: 17.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 35mm -- Wall Thickness: 9-10mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes

COMMENT: This is a very elegant and "sweet" little pipe. Indeed, the tobacco chamber capacity is minimum, and so it is perfect for a short and classy smoke. When it comes to proportions, I find the pipe to be very classic in design, and that is why I didn't add the word "freeform" to the shape definition. Having said that, I have to admit that the only innovative touch here lies in two things: an elegant Bocote wood shank insert and a handcut acrylic fishtail mouthpiece. This would be the perfect pipe to put in your pocket for those short breaks, without compromising the quality of the smoke or the looks of the pipe.

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Nomenclature:  DDD Mouthpiece:  Cumberland Size:  Dunhill Gr. 2, ca.

Pipe Code: DP043 Price: CHF 320.00   Shape: Cheerywood Weight: 33g / 1-5/32 oz Chamber ø: 19.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 32mm -- Wall Thickness: 9mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes

COMMENT: I'm not 100% happy with my shape definition, but it has to be a Cherrywood or a Poker or a Barrel! My confusion leads me to subconsciously believe that it's a combination of all three. It's your call! I know that this shape is quite unique and it has its very loyal fans. I particularly love the elegance of this one, among other things, because of the gorgeous handcut cumberland mouthpiece. The pipe is short (about 118mm or 4.65 inches), which qualifies it to be a Nosewarmer. The extra value of the pipe lies in the relatively large area of smooth briar, with very attractive grain. Last, but not least, I love the beautifully shaped tapered shank, which seems to flow effortlessly into the bowl.

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Nomenclature:  DDD Mouthpiece:  Acrylic/Lucite Size:  Dunhill Gr. 3-4, ca.

Pipe Code: DP044 Price: CHF 320.00   Shape: Freehand Weight: 59g / 2-3/32 oz Chamber ø: 22.5mm -- Chamber Depth: 49mm -- Wall Thickness: 11-26mm -- Cleaner Passes? Yes

COMMENT: I consider this shape to be what freehands are all about. It's very creative and complex, and yet, it's by no means extravagant or audacious. Its beauty is both pronounced and evident, while being subtle and discrete. This is the kind of shape that you will continue to admire every time you pick it up, and the more you examine it, the more you're happy with yourself that you didn't let it go to someone else ;-) Luckily for me, and for your, Duca doesn't have a separate grade for semi-sandblasted pipes. As you can see, the pipe has two personalities: from one side, it's completely smooth, and from the other, it shows a gorgeous sandblast. Why lucky? Well, you're getting it for the price of an entirely sandblasted pipe!

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