Problem?

[WaRevo]

Hey Bill, Just wanted to show you a pipe that I have had since 1995 and back in the day I used to use my single flame torch and even a few times used my main cigar lighter that is a 3 flame torch because I was out of matches or fluid for my Zippo or Sidekick so I would use what I had laying around. The one on the left isn't even the oldest but is the most smoked of these 3 Omega's as you can see from the other 2 Omega's the bowl is not only sanded down to the briar it is also reamed out bigger then the 2 on the right. At one time they were all the same sized bowl. The one in the Center is a mid to late 80's Omega and the one on the right was bought back in 2010. Only pipe out of my collection of just under 100 that has ever seen a Torch is the Omega on the left, I learned from this never to use a torch on a pipe again. In the bowl there is no more char, no cracks or web in the briar. These pipes I smoke mostly Aromatics and Burley through them. Before I took sand paper and reamer to my piipe it looked like yours. The only different aspect of your pipe is that it has the rock briar look (Worm trails) where mine was already flat. You can sand it down past that or just sand it down to get the char down if you don't want to remove that part. Or if you want you can if you own a tool add it back without much trouble. I would just sand it down flat my self. It is easier to keep clean and wax.

Briar pipes are very hardy. I wouldn't think yours is brittle as you may think. I think it was just a little over used without care. I would say after you clean it up, ream and sand it will last longer then you, and your heir and your heirs heir with care. My oldest pipe is from 1909, I have seen some that are from the late 1890.