@sablebrush et al - I just had another thought - "pipes are for thinking" (JRR Tolkien) - I do a lot of thinking! lol. Anyway my thought relates to a tip about briar polishing given by Carleton Hacker in his authoritative tome "The Ultimate Pipe Book" (in my edition it's on p.96):
"...This finish can even be accentuated by rubbing the warm pipe against the sides of your nose, around the nostrils, and along the forehead - places where a large concentration of natural body oils appear. These oils can be rubbed WITH THE FINGERS into the pipe as you smoke it, imparting a deep tone to the wood......"
Ever since I read this about a year ago I have been doing it with my smooth briars. I think he's right; it makes me feel even more at one with my pipe, and there is little/no chance of rubbing out the markings! LOL
But don't let 'her indoors" catch you at it - mine did - she thought I was completely crazy, but then she thinks that anyway, and she may be right, but for the wrong reasons!! LOL
Do any other 'mad pipers' indulge in this "disgusting habit" (her words! lol)??