Don't take offense, forciori - the pipe community is international, but still small. We see people show up with seemingly wonderful or rare stuff and a story about how they found it in their grandfather's attic, and it all turns out to be fake and the person is trying to sell scammy stuff - it happens. So we ask a few questions when someone shows up with ultra rare pipes.
On cigar forums the story is the same but different - "My friend just got back from Cuba, and now I have these 4 boxes of Cohibas for sale...." and they are always fake! So cigar guys get out of joint about Cohibas.
Nobody is accusing you of anything. You are showing good pipes, well done for buying them. You are also showing your own naivety about such pipes - and people like George should be a primary resource for you such that you don't buy fakes or replacement-parts in the future, is my thought.
On cigar forums the story is the same but different - "My friend just got back from Cuba, and now I have these 4 boxes of Cohibas for sale...." and they are always fake! So cigar guys get out of joint about Cohibas.
Nobody is accusing you of anything. You are showing good pipes, well done for buying them. You are also showing your own naivety about such pipes - and people like George should be a primary resource for you such that you don't buy fakes or replacement-parts in the future, is my thought.