I posted a picture of a crummy Christmas pipe I bought in 1992 on another post here somewhere down the line. I noted that it looked pretty good, but was a lousy smoke because of a terribly off center shank hole. It also had a nasty red varnish on the briar that actually had a run on the shank by the stem. Ugh! So I decided in the spirit of the holidays to give it a re-do. I don't know where this pipe is made for sure, as it says Italy on the stem only. Nothing is stamped on the briar itself. Whatever... so I started by using my Dremel tool with a diamond ball to ream out the shank so that the hole was more centered with a slight curve going to the bowl to help with a pipe cleaner. But still a pipe cleaner wouldn't pass from the button to the bowl. I have another pipe that has a reamed out tenon, kind of like a little funnel shape, so I thought I'd try that on this tenon, and that did the trick! Now the cleaner passes from the button to the bowl. Next I sanded off the nasty red varnish, and left it natural, buffed and waxed it. Looks much better to me, although from the pictures you'll see it doesn't look as Christmasy. Sorry, but I'm not that much of a Christmasy person, and I prefer the natural look. I look forward to smoking it on what else, Christmas day, with some Mississippi River that I recently got. (well I am from Mississippi y'all) Should be a better experience I figure.
Enjoy it on Christmas day 
