So I've been a "daily pipe smoker" for a little over a year now and have amassed a collection of around 30 pipes at this point. I've got a wide array of MM cobs, 2 meerschaums, and briars in all shapes and sizes ranging from basket pipes up to artisan pipes.
Yesterday I got my very first Dr. Grabow pipe. I was at Walgreens and spotted a "Grand Duke" behind the counter on the bottom shelf. $33 which is quite a bit higher than what you can get them for online, but I thought "why not" and bought it on impulse anyway. People seem to be just as attached to their Grabows as they are to their MM Cobs, and I love MM cobs so it seemed up my alley.
First impressions: Seems surprisingly well made for a "cheap" pipe. Snug fit between mortise and tenon, but not so snug that it makes it difficult to remove. Where the stem and shank meet, everything is nice and flush. No visible gap between the two (which has slowly become a pet peeve of mine on pipes). Bowl is a little smaller than I normally like, but holds a decent amount of leaf. It's lightweight and easy to clench. Rusticated finish is kind of ugly, but this is a workin' man's pipe anyways, not a show piece, right?
First smoke: Loaded it up with Orlik Golden Sliced. The pipe is "pre-smoked" so there's no need to worry about break in here. Good first smoke, not great. Draw was a little too tight for my liking. My OGS didn't quite sing for me the way it normally does. But the smoke was dry and cool. Bowl walls got a little warm, but I kept my pace slow and it didn't get hot despite the relatively thin walls. No problems in the clench. Also the bit is nice and wide, which is an added bonus for me.
After my first smoke I removed and discarded the filter. For my second outing with the pipe I smoked it "wide open", with no filter in place.
Second Smoke: Loaded the pipe with dunhill flake. It held about 3/4 of a flake, lightly rubbed out. This is a little annoying since I usually like my pipes to hold an entire flake so I don't have little leftover bits hanging out in the tin. Oh well, no big deal. I have other pipes that have room to spare after putting in 1 flake and will gladly accept the scraps that the Grabow leaves behind. Second smoke went much better. I'm definitely going to be smoking my Grabow "wide open" from now on. The dunnhill flake didn't quite flourish in this pipe the way it does in some of my others, but it was still very tasty. Still cool and dry. No need to run cleaners though the pipe during the smoke to absorb the moisture. No gurgles at all.
Third Smoke: More OGS this time. Without the filter my OGS is tasting much better in this pipe. During this bowl, I started speeding up my cadence to see if it would get hot when pushed and if it would gurgle. It did not. This little pipe kept on providing an cool pleasant smoke even when I abused it a little. I'm starting to get impressed with it. I've become really comfortable with the pipe now. It's starting to feel like an old friend
Fourth smoke: Wessex Campaign Dark Flake. Now THIS blend really seemed to POP in this pipe. Nice rich flavor. Pipe is still smoking great. I think me and this pipe will be good friends for a long, long time.
The pipe continues to smoke great. I'm a huge fan of MM cobs for their cheap price and excellent smoking characteristics, but I was truly surpised that such a low priced brair could smoke so well. It's never gonna be my favorite pipe, but it's definitely going to be in the rotation and it will see a ton of use in years to come. Next time I see a Dr. Grabow pipe sitting on a store shelf, I'm not going to hesitate in the SLIGHTEST to throw down money to take it home.
Yesterday I got my very first Dr. Grabow pipe. I was at Walgreens and spotted a "Grand Duke" behind the counter on the bottom shelf. $33 which is quite a bit higher than what you can get them for online, but I thought "why not" and bought it on impulse anyway. People seem to be just as attached to their Grabows as they are to their MM Cobs, and I love MM cobs so it seemed up my alley.
First impressions: Seems surprisingly well made for a "cheap" pipe. Snug fit between mortise and tenon, but not so snug that it makes it difficult to remove. Where the stem and shank meet, everything is nice and flush. No visible gap between the two (which has slowly become a pet peeve of mine on pipes). Bowl is a little smaller than I normally like, but holds a decent amount of leaf. It's lightweight and easy to clench. Rusticated finish is kind of ugly, but this is a workin' man's pipe anyways, not a show piece, right?
First smoke: Loaded it up with Orlik Golden Sliced. The pipe is "pre-smoked" so there's no need to worry about break in here. Good first smoke, not great. Draw was a little too tight for my liking. My OGS didn't quite sing for me the way it normally does. But the smoke was dry and cool. Bowl walls got a little warm, but I kept my pace slow and it didn't get hot despite the relatively thin walls. No problems in the clench. Also the bit is nice and wide, which is an added bonus for me.
After my first smoke I removed and discarded the filter. For my second outing with the pipe I smoked it "wide open", with no filter in place.
Second Smoke: Loaded the pipe with dunhill flake. It held about 3/4 of a flake, lightly rubbed out. This is a little annoying since I usually like my pipes to hold an entire flake so I don't have little leftover bits hanging out in the tin. Oh well, no big deal. I have other pipes that have room to spare after putting in 1 flake and will gladly accept the scraps that the Grabow leaves behind. Second smoke went much better. I'm definitely going to be smoking my Grabow "wide open" from now on. The dunnhill flake didn't quite flourish in this pipe the way it does in some of my others, but it was still very tasty. Still cool and dry. No need to run cleaners though the pipe during the smoke to absorb the moisture. No gurgles at all.
Third Smoke: More OGS this time. Without the filter my OGS is tasting much better in this pipe. During this bowl, I started speeding up my cadence to see if it would get hot when pushed and if it would gurgle. It did not. This little pipe kept on providing an cool pleasant smoke even when I abused it a little. I'm starting to get impressed with it. I've become really comfortable with the pipe now. It's starting to feel like an old friend
Fourth smoke: Wessex Campaign Dark Flake. Now THIS blend really seemed to POP in this pipe. Nice rich flavor. Pipe is still smoking great. I think me and this pipe will be good friends for a long, long time.
The pipe continues to smoke great. I'm a huge fan of MM cobs for their cheap price and excellent smoking characteristics, but I was truly surpised that such a low priced brair could smoke so well. It's never gonna be my favorite pipe, but it's definitely going to be in the rotation and it will see a ton of use in years to come. Next time I see a Dr. Grabow pipe sitting on a store shelf, I'm not going to hesitate in the SLIGHTEST to throw down money to take it home.
