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I'm working on my first pipe after a few months of reading the forums and have encountered something a little unexpected. I've done all the shaping and have sanded up to 400, but strange black marks (not fissures, almost like a stain) have appeared on the stummel. It almost looks like I spilled something on the bowl, or touched it with some black dye, but I haven't done any of that and the other side is perfectly clean. I tried sanding it off and that didn't help. Any ideas on what this is or how to get rid of it? Thanks

I've had briar that looked blotchy like that. I don't know if it's maybe not quite fully "rinsed", or if it's more of a local phenomenon - you see what's called "mineral streaking" in lots of different woods, depending on where the tree grew and what it sucked out of the ground.

The differential in color mostly disappears if you stain it.

My only concern is that I brushed it with a little water and it still appeared just as dark. Will that change with a coat of Fiebings rather than water? Thanks a bunch for filling me in on the mineral streaking, I really appreciate it

Honestly? You've got a whole lot more to worry about on your first pipe than discolorations in the wood. Make the pipe, and forget about it.

If you're working on your 150th, and doing it for money, then maybe it might be a problem.

My point, if I have one, is that your first pipes should be focused on getting shapes and compositions right. Leave the minutia until later.

My focus has been on the shaping, composition, etc. all along. But, as it is my first, I want to make something I'm proud of and something that I enjoy making, smoking, and looking at. I'm not a perfectionist by any means, but if there happened to be an easy fix for the discoloration, it would be icing on the cake to take care of it. Curiosity is all it was.

In my extensive 6 months of pipe making experience I have not run into blochy Briar.

I think your best bet to hide the bloch is a very dark stain.

I agree, focus on the shaping, forget the black spots, then minimize the problem with dark stain.