As promised, here's my update/follow-up post. I am happy to report that this beautiful pipe is back in action!
I used the maple syrup and charcoal recipe posted above to apply a bowl coating, covering up and (hopefully) protecting the stressed-out bowl from further cracks and/or widening of the existing fissures.
As a reminder here are the "Before" shots:
I applied the coating and let it sit longer than the 5-7 days stipulated in the instructions. I didn't necessarily mean to do this, but a week of vacation overlapped the 5-day mark, so the coating cured for almost 14 days.
And here's the pipe now:
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I had the opportunity to test the pipe this afternoon and all went swimmingly. The pipes smoked very well indeed, and the large bowl and long shank produced a long, cool smoke that lasted nearly an hour while I sat in the shade with a crossword. I detected no sourness or other changes to the tobacco's flavour due to the coating, nor are there any indications of movement in the briar underneath.
I'm declaring this one a success! :cheers:
Thanks to everyone for their comments, encouragement and practical wisdom. I'm still very much a pipe refurb noob, and as such am very grateful for places like BoB where I can learn from some great people.