Quote Originally Posted by Mister Moo View Post
Nothing to lose.

Scrape the lose stuff out of the chamber, wipe it clean, mud it properly; wait 24-48 hours, sand the mud smooth and smoke gently a couple of times. If the mud holds for a few dozen smokes (I've never had it fail) worry about refinishing the pipe next year. Not a rustication candidate if successful.

I bought a new MM General on vacation and smoked the heck out of it on the beach and porch, constant breeze pretty much. A few weeks later it gutted, turned a large dark brown spot and burned my fingers; mudded now and five years later, I smoke it every week.
Dan is dead on.

The problem with staining this pipes is that to do it correctly you'd need to sand it (the whole pipe so that it readily accepts the stain), background stain (black), sand it again, stain it with your dark color, sand smooth and finish. You'll still remove precious briar around the burn.

Best of luck.