Show off Your Linkman's Pipes Here

[danielplainview]

Linkman's pipe company was started in 1907. The name stood alone for nearly 30 years before Dr Grabow. The MLC, Linkman's, and Linkman's Dr Grabow were different from the later Dr Grabow pipes. I thought they deserve their own category.
Let's see your Linkman's pipes.

 

[danielplainview]

I'll get the ball rolling. Here's a couple of my favorite Linkman's.
Patent era Select Grain. Shank spade and tapered stem. Four digit Shape number 8474.

Patent era DeLuxe Bruyere shape # 9733. Shank shield and propeller stem logo.

 

[mso489]

Was Linkman's under the same ownership as later Dr. Grabow pipes? Yours are handsome pipes, and beautifully restored/kept. You can really bring them back from dusky darkness. These look better than many new pipes.

 

[davet]

Can we expect pics of another #9733 ? It's very hard not to bid on those low priced auctions :mrgreen:

 

[danielplainview]

Dave T ! Just the man I was looking for. I know you have some sweet Linkman's. Let's see those beauts. Yes I think I'll throw a bid on that 9733. The rim is scorched but I'll give it a shot.

 

[tuold]

Dave, here's your 8474 pipe's not as handsome brother! It's stamped 8487. While it could use a boost in the grain department, it's still a fairly classy pipe. Found it at my local antique shop for eight bucks.

 

[danielplainview]

Nice one Mike. I'm guessing the two different shape numbers are for saddle and tapered.

 

[danielplainview]

Patent era Linkman’s with shank shield and propeller stem

 

[danielplainview]

1932 patent era Silver Circle

 

[mso489]

Was Linkman located in Sparta, N.C., where Dr. Grabow is today, or somewhere else? I thought the pipe manufacturing there went well back in history.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The Linkman factory originated in Chicago Ilinois under Louis Linkman. He wanted to introduce a pre smoked pipe to customers who disliked breaking in new pipes, and asked his friend Dr. Paul Grabow if his name could be used with them as he believed that if his pipes carried a physician's name they would sell better. The first Grabows were produced in Illinois and were broken in on their "automatic smoking machine". In 1953 the company was bought by Henry Leonard & Thomas Inc. from Sparta, North Carolina. From that change, many things were added such as the adjustomatic stem and the Royalton line.

 

[newbroom]

I stumbled into Grabow, much like I did pipe smoking, and I'm glad I did.

Not only are the pipes from the early age of Linkman's, to the OTC variety eminently smokeable, they're, dare I say it? American made products.

Here's one of 3 Chicago era Grabow's I've got. Their stems are incredibly comfortable and the wood is amazing too.

This is a Linkman's Supreme Rhodesian.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My patent era zulu.

 

[davet]

My Linkman's collection so far ::

 

[mso489]

Chasing', thank you for the good history. I may have read that before, but it seems unlikely enough that maybe I didn't remember it well. Linkman/Grabow made the same migration I did, from Chicago to North Carolina, so that should stick with me. I am devoted to the Royalton series of Dr. Grabow pipes because of the acrylic stems, and I think the exquisite shaping on the Royalton bulldog would be in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) if museums weren't tobacco adverse; it's a first rate piece of industrial design art, looks like artisan work, perfect definition with no bead line.

 

[danielplainview]

Beautiful pipes guys.
@Duane, I didn’t know you had any Linkman’s/ Grabow’s. Nice looking zulu. The silver circle Linkman’s are pretty rare.
I just fixed this one up not long ago. Courtesy of Joeman. Thanks buddy.

 

[danielplainview]

Linkman’s Ringmaster. Rare green spade and pushstem.

 

[Chasing Embers]

@Duane, I didn’t know you had any Linkman’s/ Grabow’s. Nice looking zulu. The silver circle Linkman’s are pretty rare.

Someone out there doesn't have a Grabow? 8O
That one popped up a few years ago for a price I couldn't say no to.

 

[joeman]

Dave G...your Linkmans are looking swell!! I need to get the camera out.

 

[pappymac]

Not a very good picture of it by here's my Linkman Hollycourt Special

When I got it, I kept getting different answers for the time period it was made. It does not have the words Dr. Grabow stamped anywhere on it.

The patent no. is stamped on the bottom of the pipe. 2073663