Hmmm. I'd confer with the seller. Were you really handling it in a way that would snap the shank?
Pipes are somewhat delicate, but I have polished a lot, dropped pipes a few times, removed stems
often, and so on, and I've never broken a shank. Canadians are especially vulnerable because of their
long shank, and it seems as if, sometimes there could be a weakness in the briar that would cause it
to break without any exaggerated pressure. I think you should phone the seller and describe the
situation. Unless you are convinced you really put a heavy hand to it, I would explore the possibility
of a replacement, a refund, or perhaps at least going halves on the repairs. On the other hand, if you
just don't know your own strength and probably did break it, I guess I'd just swallow the expense.
It sounds unlikely to me.