Wow! The stemwork at the tip is really detailed!
OH! That's a stem guard!!! heh, heh
I think it's a very sound practice to smoke your pipes with a guard in place (all mine on which one will fit have them as I'm a 'chewer'...as you know, having seen a lot of what I'll laughingly refer to as my "collection"). A thought: When I post pics of a new pipe I've just obtained I leave the guard off as I think it's nice to see the actual tip of the stem along with all the other naked glory. I mean, it could have a Peterson P-lip for all we know! lol
But I've always liked Nording pipes and the more traditional shapes especially, as they often have a nice flair to them that sets them apart. I guess that's why I like Italian pipes in general...the bizzare and wild-ass takes on traditional shapes, etc. Anyway, I think you've got a winner there.
You know...there's one day in November that Rich's has always given a discount to all their pipes. Like a pre-Christmas thing. It's like 20% or something...but they've got some seriously amazing briar in there and if you ever come onto one that's just over the edge, price-wise, you might keep it in mind. I was going to say it would be like saving up for a rainy day...but here we are in mid-July and it's raining cats and dogs in stumptown. Go figure.