I Sanded My Truck Grabow

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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,956
29,906
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Even today Grabow employs 42 workers turning out 200,000 pipes a year.

That’s without any doubt just a fraction of what they did years ago, but still they are today what KB&B was in the thirties, the largest briar customer on the earth.

The overseas briar merchants that supply Grabow, are very, very picky about what they sell Grabow.

And Grabow is very, very picky about what they accept.

Grabow is going to put a quick commercial finish on every pipe, but that briar is likely the best of the best,,,not considering the beauty of the grain.

Consider, the finest French fries on the planet are sold at McDonalds.
not sure about any of that. Not that I doubt it but I don't feel certain. Except the fries bit have certainly had better fries.
 

TonyManx

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 24, 2021
102
138
Connecticut
My old truck pipe had an oxidized stem, a chipped coating, and the grain of the wood was obscured. I assumed it must be crummy wood to be covered up by the maker like that. I got bored and took sanding pads and wax to the pipe. This is where we ended up:

View attachment 191902

I’m now hesitant to leave it in the truck. I should have never cleaned this one…
I keep Morgan Bones, and Medico pipes in the trucks.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,840
13,957
Humansville Missouri
I don't disagree with this



I disagree with this.

It’s sort of fashionable to bad mouth McDonalds.:)

But ever try to equal one thing on their menu yourself?

It’s impossible to duplicate their French fries. It would be like trying to make your own Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe, without their unique cobs and processes.

They not only get the best of the best spuds, they’ve done it over 65 years all over the world using 19 year old labor.

Plus they no doubt use flavorings only they have.

I make sweet tea for my Wednesday night skeet shooting friends.

It’s not McDonald’s sweet tea, but it’s close.

One sanitized two gallon insulated jug

Four family size Lipton tea bags, or the one gallon size bag.

Use Bunn home coffee maker. Four big bags tea in basket, one full pot water. Make like you would coffee.

Put one gallon of ice (8 pounds) in two gallon jug. It fills it up.

You’ll have about a half gallon of sweet tea concentrate. Pour a little into ice, so you can stir in as much cane sugar as will dissolve hot, two cups is McDonald’s sweet, you may like 1 1/2 cups, it needs at least a cup. Pour over ice.

Stir and add another pot of cold water to fill.

McDonalds gets their own tea, it’s better than the rest, same as their potatoes are, but if you like sweet tea you’ll like this recipe.


The same applies to Grabow. You can buy prettier briar but there’s no way to buy better briar than the man who buys the lion’s share of briar production for Grabow, and has for longer than the briar sellers have been alive.
 
Last edited:

Smoke Wagon

Can't Leave
Dec 3, 2022
343
4,809
It’s sort of fashionable to bad mouth McDonalds.:)

But ever try to equal one thing on their menu yourself?

It’s impossible to duplicate their French fries. It would be like trying to make your own Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe, without their unique cobs and processes.

They not only get the best of the best spuds, they’ve done it over 65 years all over the world using 19 year old labor.

Plus they no doubt use flavorings only they have.

I make sweet tea for my Wednesday night skeet shooting friends.

It’s not McDonald’s sweet tea, but it’s close.

One sanitized two gallon insulated jug

Four family size Lipton tea bags, or the one gallon size bag.

Use Bunn home coffee maker. Four big bags tea in basket, one full pot water. Make like you would coffee.

Put one gallon of ice (8 pounds) in two gallon jug. It fills it up.

You’ll have about a half gallon of sweet tea concentrate. Pour a little into ice, so you can stir in as much cane sugar as will dissolve hot, two cups is McDonald’s sweet, you may like 1 1/2 cups, it needs at least a cup. Pour over ice.

Stir and add another pot of cold water to fill.

McDonalds gets their own tea, it’s better than the rest, same as their potatoes are, but if you like sweet tea you’ll like this recipe.


The same applies to Grabow. You can buy prettier briar but there’s no way to buy better briar than the man who buys the lion’s share of briar production for Grabow, and has for longer than the briar sellers have been alive.
I am in 100% agreement on the awesomeness of McDonald’s fries. Your analogy to pipes makes sense to me.
 

Misanthrope

Can't Leave
Apr 26, 2020
367
1,128
Texas
McD's fries are definitely quite edible, but they've fallen down a peg or two after they switched from from beef tallow to whatever kind of free-range artisanal gluten-free vegan-friendly oil they're using nowadays. On the bright side, there's still a whole world of awesome fries out there.
 

Puffaluffaguss

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 30, 2021
675
2,148
32
The City Different
I would agree about the fries thing until "Wendy's" recently put out some "garlic butter fries" and oh my lord talk about home cooked taste. My wife and I were both in shock and aww about how close they resemble our home cooked fried potatoes, delicious. Back on topic I haven't thought about removing the leather on my only leather "savinelli grand prix" I bought because it was the name of my first car (1977 Pontiac Grand Prix). Ebay for 15 bucks if it wasn't such a good smoker I would take the leather off and see if Savinelli used quality briar for these. Maby I will and start a thread about it lol. Oh and it didnt look close to this when i received it but for $15 it cleaned up real nice.20220427_195241.jpg20220427_194940.jpg
 

Briar Tuck

Lifer
Nov 29, 2022
1,109
5,740
Oregon coast
McD's fries are definitely quite edible, but they've fallen down a peg or two after they switched from from beef tallow to whatever kind of free-range artisanal gluten-free vegan-friendly oil they're using nowadays. On the bright side, there's still a whole world of awesome fries out there.
Tallow is what made their fries delicious. It's also what authentic British fish and chips are fried in. It's my favorite cooking oil and I render my own.

Brisket trimmings are an excellent source for the fat.
 

Briar Tuck

Lifer
Nov 29, 2022
1,109
5,740
Oregon coast
I would agree about the fries thing until "Wendy's" recently put out some "garlic butter fries" and oh my lord talk about home cooked taste. My wife and I were both in shock and aww about how close they resemble our home cooked fried potatoes, delicious. Back on topic I haven't thought about removing the leather on my only leather "savinelli grand prix" I bought because it was the name of my first car (1977 Pontiac Grand Prix). Ebay for 15 bucks if it wasn't such a good smoker I would take the leather off and see if Savinelli used quality briar for these. Maby I will and start a thread about it lol. Oh and it didnt look close to this when i received it but for $15 it cleaned up real nice.View attachment 192475View attachment 192474
That's a nice pipe. I have a Grand Prix bulldog in black leather on the way.
 

Puffaluffaguss

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 30, 2021
675
2,148
32
The City Different
That's a nice pipe. I have a Grand Prix bulldog in black leather on the way.
Leather is actually really cool, because it feels soft in the hand and keeps your hand from feeling any heat. So if you feel the leather getting warm your smoking too hot like a little warning system to smoke cooler. I would recommend one for any smoker but especially first timers maby not as a first pipe, but a seconed or third for sure.
 
Dec 3, 2021
5,051
42,920
Pennsylvania & New York
I would agree about the fries thing until "Wendy's" recently put out some "garlic butter fries" and oh my lord talk about home cooked taste. My wife and I were both in shock and aww about how close they resemble our home cooked fried potatoes, delicious. Back on topic I haven't thought about removing the leather on my only leather "savinelli grand prix" I bought because it was the name of my first car (1977 Pontiac Grand Prix). Ebay for 15 bucks if it wasn't such a good smoker I would take the leather off and see if Savinelli used quality briar for these. Maby I will and start a thread about it lol. Oh and it didnt look close to this when i received it but for $15 it cleaned up real nice.View attachment 192475View attachment 192474

Savinelli leather wrapped pipes don't turn up that often in such nice condition—it would be a real shame to remove that.

When McDonald's fries are fresh, I love them—that crisp exterior and tender core . . . Mmmm—tough to beat in a fast food context.