(for pipers) I do stupid $#!t so you dont have to!!!

[Planopiper]

Actually, yes, I was under the impression that those drones were maintenance free, possibly because that's how they've been referred to by other pipers. Not the reeds, of course, but the drones are plastic. Not much you can do there. The 'patina' comment was meant with good humor. Only my silver pipes ever get a patina. My McCallums are 2 years old and I have yet to wipe the metal fittings with a cloth. They're still bright and shiny. I assumed Dunbar would be as good. I know better now. Thanks.
I corrected your spelling of ferrule because I thought that as a piper, you'd want to be able to refer to the parts of the instrument correctly. My mistake. It won't happen again.
Good luck with your new pipes when you get them.

[Frank MacDuffy]

Ooh, sorry 'bout the pipes man. That hurt just reading your post!