I just got back the latest two pipes that I picked up on Ebay and sent to Ric at Briarville, which happily is only a few miles from me here in Florida, so I often stop by and chat with the folks instead of mailing the pipes. One pipe was in such bad shape that I could not even pull out the stem; about 75 years old and had really taken a beating. It came back not like new, but better than new, because the shine was just a bit better than one usually sees on new briars. It was just unbelievable how nice these were, not just the exterior, but the interior was just perfect on both. I cannot emphasize enough how strong my recommendation is for Briarville. They just do unbelievable work, and they are nice folks, as well.