cgraunke
BoM March '14
I've considered buying more specifically for this purpose, to practice on.A nice project pipe IMHO. If you do finish and stain them, stain them dark and take a Sharpie or something and darken the fills even more than the rest of the wood. Because the fills won't darken further with age whereas the briar will.
It's like practicing on old estates that have been cleaned up and stripped down, except there's no stripping and sanding required!
Right now, though, my Series III are all smokers.