Probably what jpm' said. This briar may just be highly conductive of heat. I'm assuming the material is briar -- a different wood might also conduct more heat. I have a thin walled Chacom zulu that get's pretty hot, so I hold it by the shank, but It smokes just fine, and I could see the thin bowl walls when I bought it, so I wasn't surprised, just the nature of the beast. If it bothers you, you might trade it off, but if you don't, you can hold it by the shank and carry on.