I feel like a fool to even asking but whats the deal w/ Dr. Grabow pipes?
It's all I can afford right now I feel like a hack smoking a Grabow because I never see much mentioned about them on any pipe sights. Am I going to be an amature pipe smoker until I get something other than my Grabow.When someone asks me what kind of pipe I smoke I'm Almost embarassed to say a Grabow.
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Pipes Magazine » Pipe Talk
Why not Dr. Grabow?
(90 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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If you enjoy what you're smoking, then you're fine. Its not about social convention or what the "experts" think. That's a bad road to go down. Enjoy your hobby. =)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Short answer:
I completely agree with Peter.
Longer answer:
First of all, following up on what Peter said, I think it is safe to say that no one here started smoking a pipe to impress anyone.
I think it is also safe to say that this website is NOT for the pretentious, and not for tobacco snobs or pipe snobs. We do appreciate the finer things in life. I personally own some higher-end pipes, like Dunhills and an Ardor in the $400 range. (That's high-end for me, not for some others.)
However, I also have five Dr. Grabow pipes.
Dr. Grabow Negatives:
1. Mass-produced from younger, (not as aged), not as dried Briar.
2. Typically less perfect briar that can have pits that are filled with putty.
3. The bowls can also be covered with shellac for the finish so the wood cannot breathe.
All of these things will cause a pipe to smoke hot, wet and / or bitter.
4. Machine-made with less care than a hand-made pipe.
Dr. Grabow Positives:
1. Inexpensive, good value.
2. Easy-to-find in mass market locations when you want to smoke and don't have a pipe.
3. Machine-made, so you get consistent quality.Posted 2 years ago # -
Greetings,
Absolutely nothing wrong with a Grabow. I've toured the factory in Sparta, NC, and met everybody there. Great bunch of folks! And they take pride in their work.
As far as briar quality goes, from what I observed, their wood is no better or worse than any other pipe company. They source the wood from the same suppliers as other makers. Yes, most Grabow's have fills, but some don't. Besides, for the price ($20 to $30), your not going to get perfection. I will be perfectly honest, some of my Grabow's smoke as good or better than my "high grade" pipes. They are a GREAT value!
And the added bonus is, your buying from an American company, employing Americans.
Here's a couple of sites for more info:
http://drgrabow-pipe-info.com/
CACooper
Cooper Pipes
PipeandPouch.comPosted 2 years ago # -
Great points, y'all! I kind of equated it with golf. Sure, I might squeeze an extra 20 to 30 yards if I used graphite shafts and titanium heads, but honestly, aluminum shanks work just great for my level of enjoyment and don't break the bank. Other folks really get off on min / max'ing their hobbies. Different strokes and all that. =)
If it still bothers you, when folks ask, just tell them the shape / style. No need to drop names. =)
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have a few Dr. Grabow pipes and I still smoke them. They are a good value for the money. If all you can afford right now is Dr. Grabow pipes, then by all means smoke them. It would be a shame if you didn't enjoy pipe smoking because of what name brand of pipe you smoke.
There is nothing wrong with smoking a Dr. Grabow or any other name brand pipe as long as you are enjoying it. I don't worry about impressing other people because at the end of the day, other peoples opinions don't change my life one bit.
One thing that a lot of people seem to have forgotten over the years is; the pipe is just a vessel to get the tobacco smoke to your mouth.
Compare pipes to cars for example. Take a Chevy or Honda and compare it to a Mercedes or Lexus.
Is the Mercedes or Lexus a more luxurious way to get from point A to point B? Of course.
But you can still get from point A to point B in the Chevy or Honda with no problems and it is more economical to do so.Just remember that the main point to smoking a pipe is (besides enjoyment and relaxation) the tobacco. The most expensive pipe in the world isn't going to do anything for the pipe smoker without tobacco in it.
Just enjoy yourself while smoking your pipe, whatever name brand it is. And don't be ashamed, embarrassed, or worry about what other people might think, keep puffing your pipes!
Enjoy what you smoke and smoke what you enjoy!"When the Government Fears the People, There is Liberty;
When the People Fear the Government, There is Tyranny." - Thomas JeffersonPosted 2 years ago # -
I just want to thank everybody for the great advice, And encouragement on my new hobby
I'm really enjoying it and my wife love's the tobacco aroma so I get to smoke in the house. Especially, because I'm from New England and its about 18 degrees outside at the moment. I've been kicking around buying another smaller Dr.G. I bought a Grand Duke as my first pipe and it takes me forever to finish a bowl. Any advice about a smaller pipe I'm looking at the Lark which looks like it has a smaller bowl.Posted 2 years ago # -
That's great that you can smoke inside brazz, especially in the winter.
Definitely get another pipe, as it's good to switch off. You should let a pipe for rest for a day or two before smoking it again.
Keep in mind that you don't have to fill the pipe if you can't smoke an entire bowl.
Posted 2 years ago # -
brazz,
The conventional wisdom is, "Spend money on tobacco, not pipes." I never owned a Grabow, but one of my most memorable and euphoric smoking experiences came while smoking a drug store aromatic in a $5.00 Medico, back in the late 1960's! As you can imagine, to have remembered it after all these years, there must have been some impressive confluence of tobacco, pipe, personal chemistry, etc.On the lighter side, if the Grabow stamp makes you self-conscious just improvise a bowl jacket made of sewn chamois cloth (the wife can be of help here), and tell snobby folks it's there to protect your Dunhill from scratches and fingerprints!
:)I buy pipes with shapes and stems that I think will be most comfortable; and bowl geometry is secondary. If your present pipe is too large for your appetite, just don't fill it up all the way. In time you'll discover that some tobaccos work best for you in a narrow billiard, or a wide shallow bowl, etc.; and those criteria will influence your purchases.
Of course, sooner or later you'll contract PAD, we all do; and then....($$$$)
I find myself sitting idly on the line dividing past and future,
as if I could kill time without injuring eternity. -- ThoreauPosted 2 years ago # -
I don't think the brand of pipe matters at all. I've been smoking my pipes a little over a year and have three corn cob pipes, a Dr. grabow, and a medico among others. The cheap pipes help with rotation and letting your pipes rest( this is important). Just enjoy yourself while you are smoking whatever pipe you decide to pack. Get some corn cob pipes to add to your rotation, I think you will be surprised on how well they smoke.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I still have the Dr. Gra'bow Omega, which was my first Briar. I've had it in my rotation since '02. It smokes like a champ. I give it a whiskey bath after every smoke.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have an "Omega" and other than the military-bit its a fine smaller bowl for the quickies throughout the day. Its never give up on me so Ill give it the same effort. Enjoy!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Here's a "guilty pleasure" I indulge in often, especially when driving, because it has a large capacity for a small pipe, and a shape with great jaw leverage. I got it from my dad about 39 yrs. ago as a "stocking-stuffer" Christmas gift; and he couldn't have paid more than $15.00. If it isn't a basket pipe, then maybe just one step up from a basket pipe. Fortunately it's a great smoker (with a lot of sentimental value.) The neat thing is, if you spin the stem around it becomes as compact as a vest pipe!
Posted 2 years ago # -
cortezattic - That's a nice example of a very nice looking pipe you can get without spending a lot of money. Corn Cob Pipes are a great idea too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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Nothing better than a Dr. Grabow with a bowl full of Captain Black... I love my Grabow's because they look very nice and smoke very well right off the shelf, basket, display board or wherever you pick them up from.
The nice thing about the Dr. Grabow's is they are pre-smoked with REAL tobacco, so they are broke in already! That's one thing that I do not like doing, breaking in a virgin pipe... but maybe I'm not doing it right...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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One last thing that I forgot with The Dr. and CBW... The glass of Maker's Mark!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have a Dr. Grabow freehand that I smoke from time to time. It is one of the higher-end Dr. Grabows, but it isn't bad at all.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Greetings daveahand,
I was eyeing a Dr. Grabow freehand the other day. If I had needed yet another pipe I might have bought it. It's difficult to see the grain in online pix. Do the Grabow freehands have a lot of grain? I wouldn't buy a pipe with a substantial amount of "bald" wood, but if it was grainy -- any type of grain -- I think it would be a good smoker.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Phil said
one thing that I do not like doing, breaking in a virgin pipe...
On virgin pipes, I hear that if you pre-coat the pipe with K-Y jelly it's a lot easier
Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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But with the KY it's changes the flavor even more!
Got ya!
No but seriously, I think that Grabow's are exellent pipes for the money... I have also found out that Grabow's are getting harder to find... I would like to see a freehand, but all I can find are the left overs that don't have the eye appeal... If someone can give me a link or web site to find a freehand, I would love to find see it! Thanks in advance!
Posted 2 years ago # -
http://www.cupojoes.com/cgi-bin/spgm?dpt=H&srch=NA&item=drgfre02
There ya go Phil. Cupojoes.com is a nice site that I check out once in a while. They have other Dr. freehands as well as a nice selection of other pipes. I actually had a gentleman come into my shop before Christmas and ordered one for a friend of his. They come with filters but you can remove them and smoke it without the filter if you would like. Hope this helps you out brother.
LEGALIZE FREEDOM!Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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As long as someone is laughing, cortezattic... Thanks for the link, I'm always looking for a nice Grabow, all my Dr's are full of grain, none of them are "plain" with grain... Oh look, I made a rhyme...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I still use my Dr. Grabow Omega, which was my first Briar pipe. It smokes like a champ. It has sentimental value as well. I would bronze it, before I got rid of it. I like the little military bit. When I smoke it, I am reminded to slowly sip, instead of puffing. That way, I never get bitten.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Does Dr. Grabow ever come out with new styles if so how often?
Posted 2 years ago # -
They are fine and so are Gardensana H.I.S about the same price but look nicer .Also you would be suprised at what you can have given too you if ask around uncles ,aunts etc . The older ones have real small bowls look for them at antique stores .
“There was an awful suspicion in my mind that I'd finally gone over the hump, and the worst thing about it was that I didn't feel tragic at all, but only weary, and sort of comfortably detached.”Posted 2 years ago # -
"Premier pipes" is having a sale on Dr. Grabows. I saw a Freehand available.I just bought a "Color Duke" I'll post a pic when I get it. Its already in the mail.Fast service. It's orange a little flashy but I thought it would be perfect for the beach this summer. That is if smoking is'nt outlawed by then.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I thought I should mention its not new Grabow it's a New 70's era Grabow unsmoked w/original price tags.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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I think the have their tooling set for only the current styles... I have been seeing new shapes that I hadn't seen in the past...
Posted 2 years ago # -
brazz,the Grand Dukes and all other lines of Grabows were produced in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.I'm talking about the older pipes. Since IP&A took over Grabow the variety of shapes and finishes is more limited.Actually it seems to me that in the older pipes,smaller bowls are more common,especially in the Duke lines.The pear and apple shapes are generally smaller.
Posted 2 years ago # -
For the International pipe smoking day I am going to buy My Grandpa the DR Grabow Savoy
Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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Get'er done... My wife wants me to get that style too... I want a freehand
Posted 2 years ago # -
10% off of all pipes at JR's on IPSD
Posted 2 years ago # -
ARISE ANCIENT THREAD!!!! BUAHAHAHAHA!
I just noticed today that my local CVS stocks Grabows and CBW in the big tin. Don't know much about the brand, but looks to be a Savoy from pix I've seen. Is the Savoy a pretty solid pipe (considering the price, of course)? I think I may swing by on the way to work at the end of the week and spring for it. Not equivalent to quibbling over a $200 Meerschaum, I know, but with such a great history and the nice things I've heard about the brand, it would be a shame to miss out on the chance to try one.
BTW, I'm not a badass, I'm just socially awkward. – BillyZoomPosted 6 months ago # -
Nothings wrong, i have some decently high end stuff, no dunhills for me, but i have a grabow and a kaywoodie (wich is about the same price) and they are fantastic smokers
Congress seems to believe that 'Children are our future' is a phrase coined by tobacco advertisers.
Jef I. RichardsPosted 6 months ago # -
I have a Dr G freehand that I always search out, I just love the way she smokes (didn't like breaking her in though).
I've put her up next to some of my pricey pipes and novice friends have nearly died on being told the price difference and the fact it's mass market. She seems to smoke just as well as they do too, in my very limited experience.
Stats: Female "Proud Pretty Pipe" Smoker, lover of all things aromatic, especially mens' armpits!
Technophobic fool who can't work out how to invite friends, so if you want to be mates with moi, you'll need to do the legwork involved, but only if you have a great SOH and don't dump on others!Posted 6 months ago # -
I have a Dr G freehand that I always search out, I just love the way she smokes
I have four of them and I prefer them over some of my nicer pipes. I dont use a filter in them and the draw is incredibly free, its very cool smoking, and it has a nice size chamber for those long smokes that I am so fond of late at night and in the wee hours of the morning.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Well now I want one too. Shame on you all.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Nice thread....I sit here smoking my Dr "omega" ......As was said earlier..the important part is the tobacco
I have a batch of pipes made of almost everything that pipes have been made of....most of them are from 30 to 200 years old.....some smoke good and some just burn tobacco....My Grabows seem to smoke just as good as some of the more expensive brands...An old Ford pickup cannot be compared to a Mercedes but they are both really just tools to transport you and your goods from place to place. Some pipes are pieces of art and some are work horses that will really smoke better then a name brand that cost hundreds of dollars. Quiet frankly, if I were blindfolded and several pipes were presented to me to smoke that were filled with the same tobacco, I doubt that I could tell the difference between a Dunhill and a Grabow if they were the same shape.Sir Walter Raleigh, name of worth, how sweet for thee to know.
King James, who never smoked on earth, Is smoking down below.Posted 6 months ago # -
I am very new to the pipe so take my .02 for what its worth... I love my DG's and have only had one I didnt think smoked at least OK. I have been doing the flea-bay thing and smoke pretty much every DG Bent I get to see if I want to keep it for myself. The little lady said to stop it cuz I want to keep them all!
OH! I just received a 2003 collectors Grabow and it is a Lat lover for sure so I dedicated it to my English blends. Maybe it's just my imagination but the pipe tamed the sting I sometimes get from my beloved PS Proper English!"I used to cry because I had no shoes. Until I met a man who had no feet"- My favorite and I use it to get by...
Support The Epilepsy Awareness Foundation!Posted 6 months ago # -
I have a DG free hand that smokes like a champ! The bowl is large, larger than I need truth be told. Yet I can pack that thing and take it fishing and smoke from it for hours. I call it my all day sucker. Next I may get an Omega, or a Lark?
I do not own any high end pipes yet just two basket $30 pipes and my Grabow free hand. I mostly smoke my medium size pipe as it fit my needs just fine. I'm not a heavy smoker so rotation is not a big issue for me. I just keep them clean and enjoy the heck out of them.
If you are wrong and you shut up, you are wise. If you are right, and you shut up, you are married.Posted 6 months ago # -
No Grabow's for me, I hate the ugly carvings on the bowls to hide the flaws, and high shine shellacs they use.
In a society that has destroyed all adventure, the only adventure left is to destroy that society.
{o,o}
|)__)Posted 6 months ago # -
Not all Grabows have ugly carvings nor are drenched in shiny lacquer(they don't use shellac) which is easily removed.The Grabows made today,while being great smokers are not as good finish wise as the older Grabows IMHO.There is also more variety of shapes and finishes in the older pipes. It is possible to have about 150 Golden Dukes or Viscounts etc, with no two being identical.I have about a half dozen newer Grabows in my rotation,the rest are older estate pipes I have refurbed.My favorite is a rusticated Golden Duke pot from the 70's. Since I smoke mostly filtered pipes the non filtered Grabows I have(100 or so) get shined up and put on a shelf to collect dust.The pic shows my Grabow Emperors which were available through RJ Reynolds coupon offers only.Available only in a smooth,unstained finish with a light coat of lacquer. The canadian and the bulldog at the bottom I have refinished,the rest are all original.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I've owned several Grabows over the years, currently have just one, but am considerring picking up another one soon.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Shellac or lacquer, I still don't like how shiny they are. I'm not opposed to Grabows, I just haven't seen one I wanted yet.
Posted 6 months ago # -
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!
Then they become the type of cheap but lovely pipe you can keep in the car glove box, another in the console (in case you forget the former), in the sports bag, tackle box, every junk drawer in the house, several scattered around the man-cave - g'on you know you want to give it a try
Posted 6 months ago # -
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!
Posted 6 months ago # -
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.
Posted 6 months ago # -
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.
Posted 6 months ago # -
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.
Danindayton
ilurkalotPosted 6 months ago # -
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.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I would like to read that dude's (danindayton) book by the way.
Posted 6 months ago # -
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!
Posted 6 months ago # -
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.Thought in the early morning, solace in time of woes,
Peace in the hush of the twilight, balm ere my eyelids close
Rudyard KiplingPosted 6 months ago # -
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.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Well now I want one too. Shame on you all
Youre welcome Juni
Posted 6 months ago # -
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...........Posted 6 months ago # -
+1@ Jud.
Posted 6 months ago # -
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?
Posted 6 months ago # -
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.
Posted 6 months ago #
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