Thanks for the tip. I think it will actually look better with the darker grain. I was surprised at how much lighter the freehand is than my other one. A very noticeable difference.
I was wondering if someone can help me out on something else I noticed. There is a tiny bump next to the air hole in the bottom of the bowl. It is rock hard and seems like it is supposed to be there as it is symmetrical. Just curious as my other pipe does not have this and the entire bowl is smooth at the bottom. Is this something to be concerned about or is this normal?