I have a Karl Eric pipe that has what appears to be a "natural", polished finish. Have an inexpensive Big Ben pipe that is super shiny and has what appears to be an artificial grain pattern. From a bit of research on the site, I would gather that super shiny, artificial grain-patterned pipes are not the ideal from a finish standpoint. But, and particularly when looking at sellers on web sites or on ebay, is there a rule-of-thumb on how to tell what to avoid? I guess I am asking if one can tell if a pipe has been varnished and/or painted to look like fancy grain? Guess an obvious solution would be to ask the seller, and hope the seller knows. Also guess another obvious solution is look at the pipe in a brick & mortar as opposed to buying on line. Advice appreciated!
