"I personally would never smoke a pipe with a hole in it, but that is me."
Neither would I, but the pipe in question is a rare vintage for an incredibly cheap price, and it would be a shame to pass it up if it could be home-repaired.
ejames said,
"I once repaired a rusticated pipe with a hole in the bottom of the bowl using epoxy and pipe mud."
Wouldn't the burning tobacco cause the epoxy to release noxious fumes?