Why not Dr. Grabow?

[marmal4de]

I'm of the mind, that my spare time is worth roughly $150/h, using that logic, might as well buy a pipe that I like to begin with rather than modifying one I don't!

 

[sincityjeff]

Marm, I had that revolting finish on quite a few Dr. G & other estate pipes I'd purchased, even redder, thicker and shinier than the Dr G's. Alls I did was soak them in alcohol for a few hours, take to them with 1200 grit W&D sandpaper for a couple of minutes and then that Halcydon(?) bowl polish - they came up a million bucks and now look totally classy instead of utterly tacky!

I'd love to see pictures of some finished ones.
I have one Dr,G that I bought at Walgreen when I started smoking pipes. It's a good smoker and learned a lot from it that made me confident to buy and smoke higher priced and better pipes.
I still smoke it once in a blue moon.

 

[aussielass]

SCJeff, there's pics of some stripped nekkid pipes that I've done over in my PAD thread "Wicked, Wicked Forum People" - no Dr G's yet, they're still soaking their litle bowls off in alcohol, but you'll get the idea - those pipes were the most hideous cherry red with "varnish" thicker than thick.
I find doing each one a labor of absolute love, to see what they were compared to what they become is an absolute joy and it's a whole lot easier than restoring a ruddy great piece of furniture like I used to do lmao - it sure fills that void of needing to bring beautiful things back to their former glory and preserve them for those following us though.

 

[rhogg]

I was in a Brick Mortar today that had two cardboard pipe displays holding a large number of pipes. Kaywoodie & Dr. Grabow. For $25 you are probably going to have a hard time finding a better pipe. Yeah cobs are great... after you replace the stem; however, if you just want to smoke it is about the cheapest thing going.
Anyways, Dr. Grabow had some pretty fair looking pipes. I assumed most of them had smallish bowls which I don't care for all that much. I was definately wrong. They had some nice medium-large sized bowls on display. I think I'll buy one..... If for nothing else I'll buy one because of this:

I have my first pipe, a Dr Graybow. Bought it in 1964 in Navy boot camp. It was the only pipe I owned for 3 years. I now have some high end pipes from custom carvers but, it seems like every time something significant happened in my life that Graybow was in my face. I smoked it all thru Viet Nam, hunting, fishing, backpacking the western states. When both of my children were born I was smoking that pipe. A lot of good memories with that old pipe because it was a cheap old pipe and I wouldn't mourn its loss.
But now, I can fire it up and revisit goose wings whispering in the dawn, an old lab and other friends and places that are no longer with me. I can relive those moments that are dear to me.
True, a pipe is a tool but, like some tools that we use, sometimes they become more than tools. 'Sides it is now the best smoker I own, 47 years of smoking a pipe will do that.

 

[rhogg]

I would like to read that dude's (danindayton) book by the way.

 

[baronsamedi]

You guys are doing a terrible job of talking me out of that Grabow. I think Aussielass is onto something with the wickedness thing. Thanks, y'all. I HAVE to buy it now!

 

[judcole]

You guys are doing a terrible job of talking me out of that Grabow.

OK.

Don't have any. Don't want any. I would rather save my pennies and find a nice Stanwell estate then buy 3 Dr. Grabows with the same money. I have done my time with drugstore pipes, just like I did with heavily flavored cavendishes.

 

[rigmedic1]

I have. Dr.G Viscount author shape, and a Starfire Pickaxe. Dr.Grabow pickaxe shapes are really good flake pipes, and you don't see a pickaxe from other manufacturers very often.

 

[matchstickman]

Well now I want one too. Shame on you all

Youre welcome Juni :mrgreen:

 

[ejames]

It's kinda funny the way people develop loyalty to brand names. I have owned probably 100 cars in my life,most of them were Mopars,along with several Studebakers,one Chevy,one Ford. Now were I rich,I'd have a Ferrari,a Lambo, maybe an Auburn Boattail Speedster and any one of a hundred other high dollar cars.But that old Dakota truck that I have would still be in my garage,preferably sitting next to a Hemi Cuda!

Now if I were rich and drove those cars I would be smoking my DG pipe. If not a DG then a Tinsky,West,Ruthenburg,Cooke or other artisan pipes.Ain't never been nor ever will be, a high dollar(or mid range) factory made pipe sitting on my racks,except for maybe a Pete, a pre-trans Barling or...........

 

[terry]

+1@ Jud.

 

[juni]

Speaking of high gloss lacquer, this one has it too (a Peterson "outdoor" nosewarmer):

It always burns hot so I am considering stripping it too. So an alcohol soak and then some very fine sandpaper would do the trick?

 

[baronsamedi]

Thanks Jud. I now will at least wait until pay day to buy it. Probably gonna score a tin of CBW, too. And some cleaners and maybe a Zippo. Dammit.
I'm glad I resurrected this thread. Lots of good info here. Stuff about Dr. Grabbys that I never knew.

 

[bigvan]

I'm with Jud and Terry... I just bought a Dr. G Grand Duke to see what all the hub-bub was about and from the moment I popped it out of its blister pack, it just makes me sad. I'm going to do write up a separate entry about the experience, but it's a pipe full of sadness.

 

[doctorthoss]

I've got approximately 30 briars in my collection, including a 45-year-old Dunhill, Savs, Stanwells, Bjarne, Nording, and six Grabows. The Grabows are consistently good to excellent smokers, outperforming most of the higher-end pipes I've owned.

 

[spyder71]

I'm geeked! I just got a what I think to be a very old Grabow Savoy! It's not the most popular of the DG's but a damn fine smoker and a Yellow spade to boot.

BTW...I like my DG's

 

[withnail]

Another thing to remember about pipes (and many other things for that matter) is the rule of diminishing returns. A $20 pipe from an established maker will probably smoke really well. It might also be true that some $40 pipes will be even better, but will it be twice as good? Once you get to a $200 pipe, it is very unlikely that it will smoke "10 times" better than that $20 pipe! Of course, part of what you are paying for in a high end pipe is the limited number that a well know craftsman can make.
As long as you get pleasure from your pipe and tobacco combination, then that is the most important thing.

 

[baronsamedi]

If I ever burn $200 or more on a pipe, I'll report back. Right now my most expensive purchase has been $32 plus shipping and I'm happy as a clam.

 

[baronsamedi]

If I get the DG and am unhappy with the laquer or finish, I'll have jasongone beat it up and take its lunch money.

 

[nsfisher]

smoked for yrs and my most expensive pipe (brigham) was purchased just the other day !!! 59.00 bucks plus taxes- i guess i just wanted to play around with the rock maple filter system. anyhow, i always loved the bent stems and i'm torn between a dr graybow freehand or one of the E.A. Carey jobies, neither one costing more than 40-50 bucks. anyone have an opinion?? little bothered cause ive heard the carey's draw can me miserable