MacQueen Pipe revisited

Well, four weeks after placing the order, the new Wizard churchwarden is here. Still unsmoked, mind ye, as it had to have its picture taken first.


Wizard!
The pipe seems decent. Small bowl with angled edges at the bottom, rather than the smooth curvature I've seen in most pipes.
My only concerns are the aluminium tenon which looks too malleable for my liking. It came a wee bit bent on a side of the edge and just inserting my surgical needle holder put it back in shape. No pressure required. Guess I better be careful when taking the pipe apart.
The second concern relates to the inner chamber's topography. Are those pits in there? Is it gonna burn out?

Can't wait to smoke it. Wish I could feel like Gandalf, but I seem to be losing hair instead of growing it... although, maybe if I buy a pointy hat...

Crash, the pipe is the briar version.
The dents are more obvious and numerous on the right side of the bowl:

Wonder if I should take a Dremel to it and sand it a bit... :?

Sent an E-mail to the manufacturer. Got a quick reply saying that briar being a root wood it can have some pits in the wood depending on the soil it is grown in, and that it shouldn't affect the smoking of the pipe. Also to make sure a good cake is built in the bowl.
**Sigh** I'm not in the cake camp, and this is the first uncoated pipe I've bought. Guess I'll just smoke it and see.
Thinking of giving it its baptism of fire with some Capstan Gold.

Appears to be the case. Frankly, I was expecting a better product. I wasn't impressed with the flimsy and bendy edges of the aluminium tenon, nor with the drilling job, now that you've explained it, Crash. I'm not the litigious kind nor the kind that returns stuff and asks for refunds, so I'll just keep the pipe and try to enjoy it. Who knows, sometimes the things you have more reservations and objections about turn out to perform better than the fancy schmancy; sometimes.
I wanted to buy from them because, well they're a Canadian company and I like supporting my own, and the pipe looks cool too and is less than half the price of the Vauen model it is a pastiche of (probably much less now since the Gandalf pipe is no longer made). They did mention in that E-mail the 6-month warranty period; I guess I better get smoking this one sooner rather than later and more often that my other pipes, to see if the warranty will be needed—hopefully it won't.
And, what the trout, since I'm already in bitchy mode I'll whine about the packaging: I was expecting a box, but no, it came in an impromptu envelope of hard bubble material. Also, they don't include a leather holster like they used to, nor do they provide a sock. Anyway... /RANT