Dr. Grabow Pipes.

[Swampdragon69]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9) - Bob

I have an ever growing collection of Dr. grabow pipes. Why is are they cheap? Great smokers classic shapes and real workhorse pipe. Is it because they are everywhere you look? Not Danish looking? I am just wondering why.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I bet its just the quality control.. nice pipes though.

 

[BROBS]

the stem is plastic.
quality not nearly as good as other briar pipe companies.
most take a filter.

 

[carlomarx]

Good pipes at an affordable price and made in the U.S.A. I own four and they are good smokers. I'm a fan.

 

[gervais]

I don't have a grabow, but I have heard good things about them. Can't beat them for the price, by the sounds of it. Plastic stems are a little bit of a turnoff though. I clench alot, and if probably chew the s*** out of it pretty quickly, like my few cobs

 

[verporchting]

They fill a market niche and price point.

I like other pipes better but I’ve got a few Grabow pipes I smoke regularly without complaints, particularly some older Linkman’s Dr. Grabow pipes I quite fancy.

Nothing wrong with them but they aren’t generally the same quality as more expensive brands, but you wouldn’t expect them to be. Plastic stems, lesser grade briar, fills and production line finishes will never be better than hand made commodities using premium materials. Doesn’t mean they suck.

 

[Mr.Mike]

I love grabows! I also like the other pipes that were made at the Sparta factory, like the Wimbledon coupon pipes. I'm currently smoking my Wimbledon 370, which had quite a handsome sandblast.

 

[BROBS]

I have a freehand.. it's amazing.

 

[acidpox]

I enjoy my grabows. They are the perfect pipes to get into restoring. You can find them everywhere from ebay to basically any antique store,at least in my area, for dirt cheap. And they are work house that you can abuse and not feel guilty about.

 

[didimauw]

Yes they mostly come with lots of pits and fills, not the prettiest briar, and cheap plastic stems. But boy they can smoke well, and hold up after much punishment.

 

[verporchting]

Love that Wimbledon! Great looking pipe you’ve got there.

 

[mso489]

I really like U.S. factory pipes. Dr. Grabows are made in my state, in Sparta, N.C., up near the Virginia border. I especially like the Royalton series with acrylic stems for just a few bucks more. I own two. The bulldog is so well shaped, I just feel the care that is taken in their production. Mine aren't cheap to me, just considerate of the customer's pocket book, unassuming quality. I believe they are the largest producer of U.S. briar pipes, standard bearers along with Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipes. If you have doubts, buy yourself a Royalton and you'll have a friend for life.

 

[indoeuro]

I'm not a fan of the lacquer going on the newer pipes, but I do enjoy the pipes. Comfortable bits, wide draft, close to indestructible.

 

[Swampdragon69]

What is this plastic stem that everyone is talking about? All of mine have vulcanite stems. Discolored stems to prove it. The only pipe with fills that I have is a Titan with the screw on bowl. Maybe this problem is a newer pipe thing.

 

[Humblepipe]

Mr.Mike's is one of the better look'n Grabows I've seen. For the money, I think an Edwards or Norm Thompson is the better way to go. With some searching and a little patience, either can be found on EBeast for $20-3 delivered. Especially if they need a little love.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Some are shit, some are great. They made a billion factory pipes per minute for a billion years. Lot's of good value to be found though. My personal favorite so far is the Westbrook series.

 

[Mr.Mike]

I would love to get an emperor one day. They are really hard to find. It was a grabow that was only a coupon pipes. They apparently only used flawless grade #1 briar that had full grain to make these. No fills or flaws.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I don't have a grabow, but I have heard good things about them. Can't beat them for the price, by the sounds of it. Plastic stems are a little bit of a turnoff though. I clench alot, and if probably chew the s*** out of it pretty quickly, like my few cobs

The stem on my Grabow may be plastic. I don't know how to accurately identify all the materials, but the stem on my Grabow is a lot more durable than my cobs.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The stem on my Grabow may be plastic. I don't know how to accurately identify all the materials, but the stem on my Grabow is a lot more durable than my cobs.

You can send Grabow pipes to the factory and have the plastic stems replaced with vulcanite.

 

[yohanan]

Dr Grabows used vulcanite stems until the early 90's, they haven't always been called "cheap" [enjoy this video from the days of my youth.] The Sparta Pipe factory was Kicking Butt in the mid 70's. (any of you remember this?) I do!