New Dr. Grabow Royalton

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brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
If memory serves (and it is often offline), it was Okie that is a fan of the Grabow Royalton Bulldog. Since I didn't have a bulldog in my collection, I acquired one for around $30 to $40.
The pipe is light enough to clench while still feeling substantial in the hand. The draw was good without filter. The briar quality is very good considering the price.
The only drawback was the breakin. I condition my new pipes by filling them up with a non-aromatic blend and smoking them. It has worked just as well as gradually breaking in by smoking 1/3 of a bowl for a while, then 2/3s, etc. And now-a-days, for me, a new pipe usually tastes fine from the first bowl on.
The Royalton was the exception. During the breakin, the pipe produced a vile taste for the first half dozen bowls or so. It reminded me vaguely of an industrial cleaner or plastic weld. If I hadn't read a BOTL post warning that this was common, I would have thrown the pipe away after the first couple of bowls.
However, I persisted and once I finished burning off the factory bowl finish, the pipe started tasting sweeter. It is now a decent smoker, and I would recommend it as a first pipe for the new smoker. Well, I would really recommend a Savinelli or Stanwell or MM Cobs but if a new smoker wanted a briar under $50, then this is the pipe I would recommend. It also would be a good hunting or fishing companion.


 

michiganlover

Can't Leave
May 10, 2014
336
3
Sweet pipe, I've always admired Royaltons!!
I've got 4 Dr Grabows, 2 vintage and two contemporary, and they are all good smokers.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
That black, powdery bowl coating Grabow uses now is extremely foul. After suffering through it one time, I started removing it with an alcohol-dampened rag, which actually gets it out pretty well. That helped to form my anti-bowl coating bias early on. I'm not sure when Grabow stopped using the "pre-smoking machine", but I don't remember this problem with my first (and for a very long time, only) Grabow in about 1991. Since I got into pipe smoking full time, I have bought Royal Duke bulldogs, NOS Savoys, and a few Grand Dukes. Every one of them had to have the bowl coating removed to make them smokeable. I have actually considered using an air compressor, regulator, and venturi setup to try and re-create the "pre-smoking machine".

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I think MSO is a big fan of the Royalton. Nice looking pipe, BTW. The only reason I have picked the Royal Duke bulldog over the Royalton is that I know I like the "tooth feel" of the regular Grabow stem material, and I suspect the lucite would feel a little too clicky on my chompers. Agree with Peck; the stem color sets the whole thing off nicely.

 

ray47

Lifer
Jul 10, 2015
2,451
5,610
Dalzell, South Carolina
I have the same pipe and the break in was a breeze using Prince Albert. I've read where on some Royaltons the stain was applied haphazardly causing a bad taste especially in the shank.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
brass, congratulations on that beauty. I think the stem color is perfect, and I also think the shaping on the briar is outstanding. It shows that sometimes in a factory situation a shape can be perfected and not just replicated. In an artisan pipe, that subtlety would be high art, and in an industrial design sense, it is here as well. It always gives me the feeling that the folks in Sparta, N.C., smoke and enjoy the pipes they make. My Royalton bulldog is definitely my favorite U.S. factory pipe, and I have several good ones.

 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
Enjoy that new Royalton. As others have mentioned the stem colour really looks good on that pipe. :puffy:

 

ejames

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
3,916
22
Am I the only one who doesn't like that stem color? :lol: I love my Grabows--and I have a bunch of them--but I've never liked those orange colored acrylic stems. They did use other colors in the Royalton but the orange is the most common it seems. I do have two Royaltons in rotation, a large pot and a billiard,both straight.Also have a new Royalton bent bulldog ,still in the blister pack--with an orange stem.
I'm not a fan of any bowl coating but haven't had any problems with bad tastes from the Grabow coating but, no one has ever accused me of having a refined palette.

Grabow stopped using the pre-smoker sometime in the 90's if I remember correctly.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
I too have a Royalton Bulldog, and can't say enough good about it.

I've had mine for years now, and it's always been a consistently good smoker.

It's built like a tank, but not too heavy. The draw is nice on it, and it always smokes cool. Of course, I don't use the filters in mine.

For the money, they're extremely hard to beat.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
MSO, thank you for the comments. You might recall that your praise for this pipe, in another thread, was what motivated me to make the purchase.
I especially appreciate the experience report regarding the coating. If I ever get another Grabow, I'll be sure to sand the interior first.

 

zekest

Lifer
Apr 1, 2013
1,136
9
Congratulations!
Royalton's are indeed Royal.
Enjoy the heck out of your new pipe!

 
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