Fantastic Red Viscount

[cwarmouth]

Hi Folks,
I really have a thing for these "color" Grabows. I enjoy purchasing them, keeping the nice ones and the really bad ones for restoration, and selling the ones that are mediocre. Sometimes I really luck out with a nice one, and the one that arrived in the mail today is really nice. Very little is going to need to be done with this one. I don't think I have ever purchased an estate pipe with a stem as nice as this one. Here are some "before" pics. Aside from the black on the rim, these look more like my "after" pics. I'll post the "after" pics when I get done cleaning her up.

 

[skydog]

Beautiful pipe! Always nice to find an estate pipe that doesn't need too much elbow grease!

 

[nevadablue]

That pipe is RED!

 

[mawnansmiff]

I'm assuming that is painted? How do these do over time, do they peel at all?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[vokaa]

Nice pipe! Looks good.

 

[davet]

How do these do over time, do they peel at all?

I have a few and seeing as they're about forty years old I'll hazard a guess that they hold up very well. I've a few unsmoked that are like new as well.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I have a few and seeing as they're about forty years old I'll hazard a guess that they hold up very well."
Wow Davet, impressive....thanks for the info.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[cwarmouth]

Yes, these were made between 1975 and 1980. It is remarkable that they can be found in such good condition.
Here are the after pics. Kinda hard to see much difference. A little cleaner, a little shinier, less ghosty, red in the bead line instead of black...
And yes, very RED!

 

[danielplainview]

That cleaned up nice. Good luck piecing together the Christmas set.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

That did clean up nice.

 

[downeastpipeman82]

Just what the Dr. Ordered! Beauty! I love Dr. Grabow. Best pipe for the money is you ask me. I have several myself and dare I say it.....they smoke better than my Petersons that I paid 10 times the dinero. Fine looking pipe man.

 

[mso489]

I think Dr. Grabow makes a superior pipe, there in Sparta, N.C. I get the feeling they are pipe smokers themselves. My Dr. Grabows are done with care and attention you'd see in an artisanal pipe; they aren't artisanal, but they are great factory pipes.
I have Royaltons, for the acrylic stems. What are the current stems on non-Royaltons made of? And what are the stems on the older Dr. Grabows? Are they vulcanite/ebonite? I'm impressed with the shaping of the bowl and shank on my Royalton bulldog, really artfully done, so it reinforces the artisanal feel about this factory pipe.

 

[mikethompson]

That's a cool looking pipe - definitely different from the usual finishes you see. Were you the gentleman that sanded down a painted Grabow and found some great tiger stripes?

 

[cwarmouth]

Yes, sir. That was me. I have restored quite a few of these now and have posted a few on here. Most have bland grain or a lot of filler, but that one you are referencing was a beautiful exception.