Hey from central North Carolina and welcome aboard. You can't be that far from Sparta, N.C., where the Dr. Grabow factory is located. Have you ever ventured to visit them? I've been tempted, but it is a longer haul from where I am, I suspect. I think maybe you should have the adventure of smoking that Brylon pipe, or maybe smoke it once a year on some designated day in honor of its original owner.
Believe it or not, there is a member or two here who smoke a Brylon pipe despite the pipes being heavy and smoking hot, because they tolerate a grimy workplace with dust and smoke and such, and they can be washed out in a basin or with a hose. They are somewhat indestructible. I wouldn't buy one, but if I owned one, I might give it a try.