one of many questions

[thanate]

Has anybody got experience with using one of those wooden cookie rolling pins with the carved stamp designs? My grandmother brought one back with her from a trip to Germany in 1992, and just gave it to me over thanksgiving in the hope that I'd make use of it. It's unfinished wood, & I've trimmed off the most obvious of the splintery bits, but I'm not sure a) how smooth a surface I need for it to work on nice cold shortbread dough, or b) if there's anything I ought to do with it (treat it with cutting-board oil? wet or freeze it?) before trying to use it.