Nice! That Continental #X00 looks like a stunner. What model is it? And can we get a couple glam shots when you get a chance...
Show Off Your Dr. Grabow Pipes Here!
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@tuold
Very cool. And now... another has joined the hunt for 12 Continentals. You have at least 2 already. Not a bad start.
Very cool. And now... another has joined the hunt for 12 Continentals. You have at least 2 already. Not a bad start.
I've got a box of pipes waiting their turn for refurb. I dug out three just now. A Starfire, a Westbrook and on the bottom, a Viscount. I've also got an Adventurer that's the same shape. They are all in pretty good condition. It's kind of chilly out there in the shop right now or I'd be out there working on them!
Man, oh man, did Dr Grabow make some fine looking pipes back in the day!!
I have 3 vintage Grabow's, and 3 current production, and the current production just isn't up to par!!
I have 3 vintage Grabow's, and 3 current production, and the current production just isn't up to par!!
There’s a Continental #25 on eBay right now if anyone is looking. The rarest of the 12 shapes.
Mike, fire up the space heater. :D
Mike, fire up the space heater. :D
Here is an Ebay tale of woe. I was happy to get this Viscount shape 40 the other day. It was in outstanding condition with a pretty attractive finish, sharp stamping...everything good. Except when I ran a pipe cleaner through, it stopped halfway into the shank. On close examination I could see the tip of a drill bit just sticking out from the air hole in the bowl. It had obviously been broken off while a previous owner attempted to widen the airway.
The seller refunded my money and told me to keep the pipe. He doesn't seem to know anything about pipes so I doubt he had anything to do with it. So now I have a beautiful Grabow that is totally useless! I doubt there are needle nose pliers small enough to get into the shank and pull it out, if it could be pulled out. :crying:
The seller refunded my money and told me to keep the pipe. He doesn't seem to know anything about pipes so I doubt he had anything to do with it. So now I have a beautiful Grabow that is totally useless! I doubt there are needle nose pliers small enough to get into the shank and pull it out, if it could be pulled out. :crying:
That’s a great looking Viscount Mike. What a shame its blocked up. Try emailing Steve from Reborn Pipes. That guy is a miracle worker with repairs. Maybe he would have an idea how to remove the drill bit.
How far in is the bit? Without seeing it, I’m only speculating.
I’d try freezing the pipe over night. Then use a coat hanger tip with a 90 degree bend to go in from the bowl chamber side and maybe push it out. If the bit is close enough to the chamber draft hole it might just work.
How far in is the bit? Without seeing it, I’m only speculating.
I’d try freezing the pipe over night. Then use a coat hanger tip with a 90 degree bend to go in from the bowl chamber side and maybe push it out. If the bit is close enough to the chamber draft hole it might just work.
Here's a Dr. Grabow Supreme I just recently picked up. Supposedly it was made at the end of the Linkman era(perhaps someone more knowledgeable in the area could confirm?). Stamped "Pre-Smoked", Still has the original stinger which is interesting in that it goes almost all the way through the draft hole. I am still not sure if I am going to keep it or not, as it is way smaller than I was expecting(Chamber is 1"x11/16", 5" Length). Even still, despite the few fills in the bowl, it's a nice looking little clencher. I am really impressed at the open draw on it compared to ,say, my Kaywoodie Signet which is like sucking through a coffee stirrer straw.
BadBeard...I believe your pipe was made between 1953 - 1956. HLT (Henry, Leonard & Thomas) acquired M. Linkman and Dr. Grabow in '53...and by 1956 they began introducing their 'new' models, which continued through the '50's (Savoy, Riviera, Regal, Starfire, etc). Your pipe being one of the Linkman-era shapes...but NOT stamped as Linkman puts it in that changeover period.
I am very happy to own the "very last" Linkman-era shape which came out of the Dr. Grabow factory in Sparta. They offered up the 'last' of their new-old-stock pipes to our tour group a couple of years ago...and among those hundreds of old dusty pipes, I found ONE little beauty, the last NOS Linkman/HLT-era relic from those days gone by. I've not smoked it, but I did shine it up.
Interesting! Thank you much for that info. I am very impressed it managed to survive that many years in such great shape.
dave g wrote:
I contacted the Ebay seller about my success and offered to refund his refund but he refused. I don't believe in getting something for nothing so I still feel bad about the whole affair. I guess that's part of dealing with Ebay purchases where the seller doesn't know what he's selling and the buyer doesn't know what he's getting.
Happy ending to this. What I thought was a bit poking through the air hole was actually the metal part of fossilized pipe cleaner. So I went into the shank with 5/32 drill bit and was able shred the pipe cleaner enough get all the fragments out. Usually when use power tools I end up destroying the pipe. I was lucky this time!
I contacted the Ebay seller about my success and offered to refund his refund but he refused. I don't believe in getting something for nothing so I still feel bad about the whole affair. I guess that's part of dealing with Ebay purchases where the seller doesn't know what he's selling and the buyer doesn't know what he's getting.
A happy ending for that Continental, tuold. :clap:
Here’s a Westbrook 81. I had this for a while but never posted it.
Here’s a Westbrook 81. I had this for a while but never posted it.
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