Maybe this is a sort of sour grapes, but I have a certain fondness for fills. I don't go shopping for pipes with fills, but on one or two unfinished Savs, I find that they stay in place and add an individualized accent to a pipe. In Japanese pottery, irregularities are considered expressive, natures way of adding an accent so a teapot or cup, etc., isn't too controlled or manufactured looking. In fact, in the tea ceremony, part of the ritual is to admire the tea service and its interesting irregularities. So with pipes, a spot or blemish, or a little odd grain can personalize a pipe and protect us from our perfectionism. This attitude certainly expands ones appreciation of pipes that may not attain an exquisite perfection but still have resonance. Like some weeds, fills on pipes can have a beauty and distinction of their own.
