So, the pipe got here awfully quick. Turns out it shipped not from Laredo, but from somewhere in my town.
I'm currently smoking some Maple Twist and working up a first impression.
As for the condition and the seller's portrayal of such, the pipe gets a B and the seller a C. The seller is definitely skilled at "optimizing photography" in her favor. Many sellers will intentionally detail every nick. Many will obscure them. She chose the latter.
No deal breakers for me, but for the sake of critical analysis, I submit the following.
The rim has several light dents from tapping. Her photo #5 on eBay shows none. My pic catches them easily.
There are two pits on the left side of the pipe. In her photo number 2, the left mark is invisible and the right easy to overlook as a color variation to us novices.
On closer inspection, what I thought was a letter C looks more like a letter G, supporting Jesse's suggestion that this could be a Charatan made pipe.
On the bottom, there are additional, unexpected letters stamped, "IN PEEL". I suspect there may have been more before the "IN" part at some point, just a guess. I'm certainly interested in your theories and/or knowledge here.
The pipe is medium in wieght for its size and comfortable to clench. The bowl reaming is even and round. The bit it a good shape and size for me. As Thomas implied, the thick walls kept heat at bay. I believe I will enjoy smoking this pipe.
The "character marks" don't bother me at all. The fact that the seller was able to disguise them so well and chose to do so annoys me but "buyer beware" and "people suck", etcetera.
So, once again, the pipe scores a "B" and the Shiny seller a "C".
Finally, to support my later comments, I filled up the commuter vehicle for the week.
The pipe DID cost me 11.55 tanks of gas! :nana:
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