Bad Idea?

I'd say do whatever feels right to you; it's your smoking session, enjoy it however, being a semi-newbie myself, I have a lot of pride for the cob as a first smoker.

Their small size is good for trying portions of various blends. In addition, they don't really retain the different tobacco flavors like meerschaums do.

Personally, I would save the Grandi for when you decide to jump fully into the habit; your gained experience will allow you to properly use and cherish it more - if you know how to use it right, you'll want to use it often, and that's great.

But like I said, whatever you feel most comfortable with. Don't overfill the bowl, let the flame char the rim, knock your pipe against anything, especially when hot (you can crack it). Lastly, don't scrape too much ash from the inside - you can destroy the smoking prowess of your piece.

That advice applies to almost any pipe aside from cobs. You can treat cobs horribly while you learn technique, and so long as your tobacco is quality, it'll still be a great smoking pipe.