Patina, ROFL. The scratches tell my brothers story, I'd prefer if they told mine.
Pipe and bits of wood I can do and possibly with a modicum of finesse.
I don't remember having a bike with gripshifts, but I do remember riding one. Maybe my first 3rd hand Ridge/Diamondback had them. The bars were short so my hands rested partly on the shifters, every time I hit a nasty bit of trail the bikes rigid front end would jar, my hands would slip slightly and I'd accidentally shift a gear!
Off to hunt down a headset.