It has nothing to do with health concerns. Hell, I can have a hat cleaned and blocked any time. No, it has to do with personal choice. I buy a pipe to smoke, not to restore to smoking condition any more than I would buy a house needing restoration. There are people who enjoy doing both. More power to them. It's simply not my idea of fun.
I don't buy a new pipe simply to have a new pipe. The pipe, as I've iterated before, must catch my eye from the display. Then, I must fondle and inspect it. It has to feel correct in my fist, fit my eye with it's proportions, luster, grain, fittings, etc. If a used pipe had the proper provenance proving it to have been one of Clemens' or Hitchcock's I would possibly buy it as bit of history but, never to smoke. It would merely be an artifact. And, I am certainly not going to waste either my moneys nor a sellers sending pipes back and forth in the mail until I find one meeting my standards.
So, no mail ordered, used pipes for me.
The man asked the question. When I answered I didn't understand I could be called on to defend my position. Nor do I understand the conflating of the "used pipe" with restaurant paraphernalia which are usually under a bit of control from government agencies and the owners wish not to sicken customers.
I do buy cobs by the card full but, they are working pipes, disposables as it were. Other than that, my next pipe, and there will be at least one more, will be a virgin and meet my own criteria.
