Pipe Doesn't Match the Description

This listing is a good object lesson for (new) smokers who are considering buying pipes (in this case, eBay). I'm not trying to scare you off of doing so, just pointing out some things to look for. The seller makes claims that don't match the pipe.
Ser Jacopo smooth Dublin:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SER-JACOPO-FATTA-A-MANO-STRAIGHT-STEM-BRIAR-SMOKING-PIPE-ITALY-/251584768341?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123
Things to notice:

1 - Very dark nomenclature

2 - Top of the bowl picture

3 - Shank / tenon joint (where the stem meets the bowl)

4 - Stem logo. Red coral dot (pipes made from late 1984 to 1997)

5 - Matte finish

6 - L in circle nomenclature
The seller replied:

Bought this pipe 4 or 5 years ago...That is why the pipe is still in such excellent condition. I'd estimate it wasn't smoked more that 10 or 12 times. I was the original and only owner.

Click to expand...

#1

Very dark nomenclature, as in this pipe, indicates that the pipe was stained after the pipe was marked. Pipes are stamped after they're stained precisely to avoid this.
#2

In the picture looking down into the bowl you can see that the left side of the pipe isn't symmetrical with the right and it's shape is slightly irregular. This is inconsistent for most makers, especially top makers like Ser Jacopo but it is consistent with an attempt to reshape the bowl (sanding).
#3

The shank slopes slightly as it meets the stem. This is consistent with a replacement stem. The stem looks as though it may be original (logo and shaping of the button - end of the stem). If it's not a replacement stem then the shank was sanded.
Points #1 to #3 indicate that this pipe was sanded and then restained. You'd look for the same indications in pipes of any manufacture. Points #4-#6 are brand specific to Ser Jacopo.
#4

The seller claims that the pipe was purchased sometime after 2008 but by stem logo it was made at least 11 years before and by style possibly 10 years earlier than that (Jacopo made several of this shape in the mid 1980s). It's a slight possibility that this pipe was NOS (New Old Stock) and it was purchased unsmoked 20 years after it was made.
#5

Ser Jacopo didn't make a matte finished smooth but it's possible that the picture makes it look that way.
#6

Ser Jacopo used L1, L2 and earlier L3 as nomenclature for their smooth pipes, not an L in a circle.
Conclusion:

This pipe has a lot of red flags. I believe that it was sanded and slightly reshaped (bowl), marked with the L in a circle and then stained. The stain infiltrated the existing nomenclature and made it dark.
The pipe still has quality but you should understand what you're buying or bidding on and if this seller is indeed the original owner then his story and description don't match the pipe.
Hope that this helps.

Pipestud and Briarblues, thanks for your quality responses and I’d classify our comments as optimistic, cautious and doubtful and that’s a fair mental process that any buyer of pipes (anything?) should have especially when the product can’t be inspected personally.
Pictures can be misleading and I framed my comments accordingly but I chose this pipe as an illustration because of the disparity between the description and seller’s note to me and the (reasonably) clear photos. The condition of the pipe is at odds with the pictures shown and the evidence is always in the pipe.
Nomenclature and logos can be dynamic. Pipestud makes a good point about different stamps and logos used for specific markets. I take your word that you’ve seen other pipes marked with an L in a circle but there’s an otherwise beautiful Ser Jacopo smooth billiard currently for sale (eBay) with a ‘J’ logo that is filled (top inside of the bowl) that the seller responsibly shows. This is why nomenclature can be unreliable.
An old collector trick is to dab stain on the nomenclature when it’s become too faint. If one were to look at the offerings on eBay I doubt that there are many (if any) Jacopo’s that have darkened stain in their nomenclature other than this pipe. Why was this pipe stained? That question is what led me to question the other points that I raised.
I apologize if my comments about the shaping of this pipe weren’t specific enough. Looking at the top of the bowl, the walls of the right side are clearly thicker than the left. Same picture, directly over the shank (inside of the bowl) you can see the ‘edge’ where the reshaping starts. It’s possible that this was done at the factory to ‘run a flaw’ but that’s inconsistent with the body of Jacopo’s work.
The shank slopes slightly to the stem, (first two pictures) that’s usually an indication of replacement bits but I agree that this appears to be an original stem. Pipe makers refrain from trimming any more wood than necessary from the shank because it weakens the joint that’s already susceptible to breaking. Where there’s smoke...
Briarblues, the tiny dots were originally real coral but they proved a problem because they sometimes popped out and they were changed (perhaps a few times) to synthetics that could vary a bit in hue and perhaps size.
When nomenclature darkens with wear it’s not uniform like this (all over the pipe) and I’ve never seen it on a Jacopo (has to do with the crispness of their stamps that they were manic about).
Your point about the the possible use of water or alcohol (or other substance) is excellent and possibly an answer to some of the questions raised. Alcohol can cause a small amount of ‘bleed’ and perhaps it was applied liberally (soaked). I hadn’t raised a couple of esoteric points about what seems to be a lighter shade on the shank and the opacity of the shank wood but alcohol could cause this and the matte appearance.
My intent wasn’t to besmirch online sellers, rather to point out a pipe that wasn’t as described. Whether the seller is ignorant or not you need to do your due diligence and as Briarblues makes clear, ask questions until you’re sure and if you’re not then wait for another pipe.