I banded my own meerschaum that was cracked, before it broke all the way. It looks great, but it was a chore to do without the proper tools, and I had to order 3 different bands to find the exact band, and at that, I had to sand off the last but for a flush fit. f you love the pipe and like to tinker, it's not out of reach. I'd do it again for one I loved. If I didn't really love it, it's not worth the effort. In my case, the self-repair gave me a new level of ownership, and it's my all-time favorite pipe.