My new/old Grabow Restoration Candidate

[alaskanpiper]

Looks like a fun project! I just got started on a Grabow restoration myself. I was showing my dad an old 1940s Peterson 208 I was polishing the silver band on, and he surprised me by pulling a couple pipes out of his desk he used to smoke when he worked in Prudhoe Bay in the 70s that he apparently inherited from a deceased family member. Never even knew he ever smoked a pipe.
One of them was a Grabow Ajustomatic Eldorado! It has the most oxidized stem I've ever seen (after sitting in his desk for 30+ years) and easily a quarter cm of cake on the rim and in the bowl. The pipe was also clearly set down on the same side for years and years, as one side is all full of scuffs and scratches. After taking care of the oxidation and caking yesterday, as well as cleaning up the bowl a bit, it actually looks like it will have some awesome grain and will end up being in pretty good shape when I'm done. Now to investigating sanding out dings/scratches and re-staining......youtube here I come...

 

[mikethompson]

Tom I decided not to top the bowl because a) I don't know how to do that just yet, and b) it is so minor I'm not sure its worth the work, and c) I like a little patina on my pipes.
Alaska, nice grab! I wish I could have a 'family' pipe. One word of warning though, restoring pipes is very addictive so be careful! There are plenty of folks that I've PM'd for help and they have been very helpful.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Alaska, nice grab! I wish I could have a 'family' pipe. One word of warning though, restoring pipes is very addictive so be careful! There are plenty of folks that I've PM'd for help and they have been very helpful.

Hahaha, yeah I'm already lost. I got the stem restoration and sanding down. But on youtube, every single video I watch on staining and waxing uses a different method. Just trying to sort it all out. And apparently find out where to buy leather dye and a reasonably cheap buffing wheel :?

 

[acidpox]

I get my leather dye from amazon. It's about 6-8 dollars per color.

 

[alaskanpiper]

found some for 3.99 at a local leather shop. thanks tho!

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Nice pick up/clean up. Golden Duke did not designate size, the Duke lines were all filtered, Golden is the highest grade of them.
Hey, Alaska, congrats on the familial find, does that Eldorado have a shape number stamped on it?

 

[alaskanpiper]

Yes, shape 11

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Extra large Apple, nice acquisition. The shape stamps ended about thirty years ago and were only used on some lines, they were reserved for the nicer pieces in those lines. Is it "banded"(aluminum shank extension)?

 

[trubka2]

Nice, Mike! Mineral oil is amazing stuff, isn't it? Sometimes it seems like old briar is just kind of "thirsty" or something. It soaks that stuff right up and just comes back to life.
You and alaska will enjoy those pipes a lot, I bet. I've got a couple younger Grabows (from maybe 1980s/1990? - they have aluminum push tenons and soft-ish stems) that I bought as beater pipes for the car, camping, etc. Abuse them as I might, I can't get anything but great smokes out of them. I now have a lot of respect for the good Doctor.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Thanks! Yeah the pipe dates no later than when my dad received it, which he says was the early 70s “or so.” But he got it “well smoked” from a deceased relative. No band.

 

[mikethompson]

Nice pick up/clean up. Golden Duke did not designate size, the Duke lines were all filtered, Golden is the highest grade of them.

Good to know, thanks! Actually there was a grimy old filter in it when I bought it.

Mineral oil is amazing stuff, isn't it?

I'll say! I'm starting to believe that it can do anything. I have some sanding to do on the stem, but then a mineral oil polish will bring the shine right back up I'm sure.

 

[mikethompson]

the stem didn't turn out too bad I think!

 

[scloyd]

Wow! Good job Mike.

 

[acidpox]

Nice job on the stem, looks like I need to invest in some mineral oil for my restoration kit.

 

[bnichols23]

Tom, I'm with you. Topping would clean it up, but it's way too easy to ruin proportions by doing so unless you're reeeeeallly careful.

, now that I know you dislike Grabows so much, I have to ask why, and then maybe send you one!

Hey, I gots nothing against Grabows.
I wouldn't get that close to them. [evyl larf] Actually, they're not too bad as a basis for a good boat anchor, after all. Seriously, very nice job, Mike, especially on the stem.
Bill

 

[mikethompson]

Yup this project is in the books, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I learned some tricks for the next one too.
As for using it as a boat anchor Bill, it would have to be a teeny weeny boat!

 

[mikethompson]

 

[alaskanpiper]

Looks Excellent! Nice work! You'll have to get back to us when you light it up......

 

[mso489]

What a fine job. I really like my own Dr. Grabows, both of them. But this one has snappy grain and both the briar and the stem came back to life. Better than new.