Thanks!

I'll be aware of what you tell me. If there's varnish in the bowl I'll sand it. But I recall touching the inside of the bowl of this specific pipe and feeling a rough inside... not smooth. But I'll double check.
Concerning the P-lip stem: I'm not quite sure what you are talking about. I understand what it does but not how I spot it. I'm quite parcial to putting the pipe in my mouth in the shop... Care to elaborate on this?
Thanks for the tips!