Having been accused of being a “pipe snob” by some, I made a promise to give a fair evaluation to a Dr. Grabow pipe and share the results. Here’s what I found…
I purchased a Dr. Grabow Grand Duke at my local Walgreens for about $30. I had a choice between a smooth billiard and a rusticated billiard (both were the same price) and I chose the rustic.
After removing the pipe from its blister pack I examined it; the bowl was VERY small, the rustication was in a flame-like pattern, and the draft hole in the button was miniscule. I removed the stem and found an aluminum tenon and a 9mm filter (which is what I expected). The bowl itself seemed a bit heavy for its small size and the smooth sections had a very high gloss finish.
The directions on the back of the blister pack (directions?!) were fairly serious about breaking in the pipe. Normally I just load up a new pipe and smoke, not paying much attention to breaking it in. But for the sake of the evaluation I followed the directions and loaded half a bowl of McClellands Arcadia. The charring light went OK, as did the second. The flavor of the Arcadia was evident though muted, but I attributed this to the filter. After smoking ½ of the tobacco (a quarter of the bowl) I removed the filter. Of course it was a MUCH easier draw and the flavor was more pronounced. The bit was not uncomfortable but had a very slight taste I couldn’t place. Not at all neutral. I finished the entire half bowl in about 10 minutes and there was no remaining dottle, so the draft hole seemed to be properly drilled, meeting the bowl at the bottom. I used thin pipe cleaners (the thick kind wouldn't fit through the tiny draft hole) to swab the stem and the bowl.
Two days later I loaded an entire bowl of Arcadia and fired it up without a filter. I got the bowl lit, but had a hard time keeping it lit. I don’t mind relights, but this was DEFINITELY more than normal and the odd taste of the bit was still evident throughout the smoke. During the entire smoke, the bowl did not get very hot at all. After about 20 minutes the bowl was spent, again with all the tobacco being smoked with no dottle.
Those are the facts. Now, based on those facts, here are my impressions of the experience:
- The rustication was, in my opinion, just plain ugly.
- The experience of ripping open a blister pack to extract a pipe reinforced the feeling of cheapness.
- The uneven, partially aluminum draft chamber feeding into a miniscule draft hole made for an odd, turbulent draw. I’m guessing this is what made the full bowl so hard to keep lit.
- I assume that the high weight to size is due to the wood being “green”; unaged/uncured. This would normally make for a very hot smoke, but the pipe remained surprisingly cool throughout. I’m guessing that, due to the small bowl, the pipe didn’t have enough time to heat up.
Conclusions on the Grand Duke
- The pipe is just too small for me.
- I don’t know what is causing the odd flavor to the bit; it’s not a “plastic” taste, nor a “metallic” taste but whatever it is it’s distracting and unappealing.
- I dislike the rustication enough to not want to smoke it. For me, part of the enjoyment comes from admiring the pipe for its look, it’s hand feel and it’s tooth feel.
- Despite my overall dislike for the pipe, I will admit that it’s much better made than I expected it to be and consider it to be worth the price I paid.
Addendum:
Right after I bought the Grand Duke, I also bought a Parker Jockey Club billiard from Cup o’Joes.com for about $50. I put it through the same paces that I did the Grabow (after removing the dang stinger, of course).
The size of the bowl was much more to my liking and the blast was beautiful. The black finish was laid on a bit thick, though, but overall I thought it was far more aesthetically pleasing than the Grand Duke.
As far as smoking, the Parker had a consistent draw, did not heat up and held enough tobacco for a full one hour smoke. The bit was comfortable and had no odd flavor to it. The draft hole was properly drilled and the mortise and tenon met nearly flush.
Comparing the two, I far prefer the Parker. Yes, the Grand Duke is worth the $30 I paid for it, but for only $20 more I could have the Parker which will smoke longer, has a much more appealing look and feel, has a proper mortice and tenon, and doesn’t have an odd taste to the bit; it’s just a better pipe. For those who think that a pipe is merely an instrument to deliver tobacco, I can see why a Dr. Grabow is all that you’ll ever need. But for me, it gave no joy. Owning it is like owning a spoon, or a screwdriver, or a pencil; a functional tool but that’s all.
Now I don't know what I'm going to do with the Grand Duke; I doubt I'll ever smoke it again. How about this... If anyone else would like to do the same comparison and is willing to share his experience, let me know. I will send both pipes to the first person who PMs me stating "I accept the challenge".
I purchased a Dr. Grabow Grand Duke at my local Walgreens for about $30. I had a choice between a smooth billiard and a rusticated billiard (both were the same price) and I chose the rustic.
After removing the pipe from its blister pack I examined it; the bowl was VERY small, the rustication was in a flame-like pattern, and the draft hole in the button was miniscule. I removed the stem and found an aluminum tenon and a 9mm filter (which is what I expected). The bowl itself seemed a bit heavy for its small size and the smooth sections had a very high gloss finish.
The directions on the back of the blister pack (directions?!) were fairly serious about breaking in the pipe. Normally I just load up a new pipe and smoke, not paying much attention to breaking it in. But for the sake of the evaluation I followed the directions and loaded half a bowl of McClellands Arcadia. The charring light went OK, as did the second. The flavor of the Arcadia was evident though muted, but I attributed this to the filter. After smoking ½ of the tobacco (a quarter of the bowl) I removed the filter. Of course it was a MUCH easier draw and the flavor was more pronounced. The bit was not uncomfortable but had a very slight taste I couldn’t place. Not at all neutral. I finished the entire half bowl in about 10 minutes and there was no remaining dottle, so the draft hole seemed to be properly drilled, meeting the bowl at the bottom. I used thin pipe cleaners (the thick kind wouldn't fit through the tiny draft hole) to swab the stem and the bowl.
Two days later I loaded an entire bowl of Arcadia and fired it up without a filter. I got the bowl lit, but had a hard time keeping it lit. I don’t mind relights, but this was DEFINITELY more than normal and the odd taste of the bit was still evident throughout the smoke. During the entire smoke, the bowl did not get very hot at all. After about 20 minutes the bowl was spent, again with all the tobacco being smoked with no dottle.
Those are the facts. Now, based on those facts, here are my impressions of the experience:
- The rustication was, in my opinion, just plain ugly.
- The experience of ripping open a blister pack to extract a pipe reinforced the feeling of cheapness.
- The uneven, partially aluminum draft chamber feeding into a miniscule draft hole made for an odd, turbulent draw. I’m guessing this is what made the full bowl so hard to keep lit.
- I assume that the high weight to size is due to the wood being “green”; unaged/uncured. This would normally make for a very hot smoke, but the pipe remained surprisingly cool throughout. I’m guessing that, due to the small bowl, the pipe didn’t have enough time to heat up.
Conclusions on the Grand Duke
- The pipe is just too small for me.
- I don’t know what is causing the odd flavor to the bit; it’s not a “plastic” taste, nor a “metallic” taste but whatever it is it’s distracting and unappealing.
- I dislike the rustication enough to not want to smoke it. For me, part of the enjoyment comes from admiring the pipe for its look, it’s hand feel and it’s tooth feel.
- Despite my overall dislike for the pipe, I will admit that it’s much better made than I expected it to be and consider it to be worth the price I paid.
Addendum:
Right after I bought the Grand Duke, I also bought a Parker Jockey Club billiard from Cup o’Joes.com for about $50. I put it through the same paces that I did the Grabow (after removing the dang stinger, of course).
The size of the bowl was much more to my liking and the blast was beautiful. The black finish was laid on a bit thick, though, but overall I thought it was far more aesthetically pleasing than the Grand Duke.
As far as smoking, the Parker had a consistent draw, did not heat up and held enough tobacco for a full one hour smoke. The bit was comfortable and had no odd flavor to it. The draft hole was properly drilled and the mortise and tenon met nearly flush.
Comparing the two, I far prefer the Parker. Yes, the Grand Duke is worth the $30 I paid for it, but for only $20 more I could have the Parker which will smoke longer, has a much more appealing look and feel, has a proper mortice and tenon, and doesn’t have an odd taste to the bit; it’s just a better pipe. For those who think that a pipe is merely an instrument to deliver tobacco, I can see why a Dr. Grabow is all that you’ll ever need. But for me, it gave no joy. Owning it is like owning a spoon, or a screwdriver, or a pencil; a functional tool but that’s all.
Now I don't know what I'm going to do with the Grand Duke; I doubt I'll ever smoke it again. How about this... If anyone else would like to do the same comparison and is willing to share his experience, let me know. I will send both pipes to the first person who PMs me stating "I accept the challenge".
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