I can’t swear that this pipe is unsmoked, but I can’t swear that it is smoked, either. Frankly, and I say this with a fair amount of experience, I’m pretty sure it’s unsmoked. There is no sign of any activity on the stem, nor does the chamber emit any aroma other than that of wood. There is a little darkening on the inner rim, but that could well be the result of a lathe turning out the chamber. Certainly the top of the rim is pristine. The feel of the chamber is absolutely smooth…almost impossible to achieve in a smoked pipe (unless somebody with great skill manipulated it with a lot of extra work…sanding, smoothing, etc. You can be very certain that I do not do that kind of extra work. Bank on it.)
There is one aspect that is a little perplexing and that is the sterling silver band. I don’t believe it’s an original band. What is almost surely the case is that the owner was concerned that he/she would fracture the shank and had the band put on as a prophylactic measure. There is no fracture in the shank…I looked carefully with a lens. There you have it, and at a good price, too.
7.5” long, bowl 1.85” tall. Weight: 1 1/8 oz., 33 grams.