Vietnam Era Pipe (Help Identify)

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npod

Lifer
Jun 11, 2017
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This weekend I was spending time with my dad. We were looking through his photo album from Vietnam, 1968-1969. I about fell on the floor when I saw a picture of him with a pipe in his mouth. He had totally forgotten that he smoked a pipe while at base camp that year. Even though he knows I am a pipe collector, he had forgotten that he had smoked a pipe once. Soon after seeing the picture he immediately remembered smoking Prince Albert in “the red can “. That led to a very long conversation about some of his other Vietnam memories.

So here is the pipe he was smoking. Just a typical basket pipe I assume. But if anybody has solid information on which brand this might be that would be appreciated. I am going to either track one down or have one commissioned and then put it together with his Vietnam Zippo and an antique tin of Prince Albert and give it to him as a present.6584658665876587
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,245
Alaska
Awesome idea and a great story! Looks like a basket pipe to me, grabow or kaywoodie maybe.

My dad (also a Vietnam Veteran of 68-69, stationed near Nha Trang) gave me his Dr. Grabow El Dorado Ajustomatic a few months ago that he received from a deceased relative in the 60s and smoked from then through the 70s. It has been sitting in his desk at work for a few decades, and It was beat to hell, caked rim, scratches, 40 years worth of oxidation, and dents like crazy. I had to do some serious restoration work on it (Sanding, Reaming, Waxing, and more), but it is now the only pipe in my collection that sits on a pipe stand (also his) in the very front on my display cabinet.

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Great pics of your dad, a real soldier. A churchwarden! Pretty cool. I'd guess it is from a PX somewhere along the trail of his military career, which might increase the chance that it is an U.S. pipe like a Kaywoodie or Grabow, if they made churchwardens at that time. That's where I'd look first, old catalogs. Or it could have been picked up on R&R leave somewhere like Hong Kong, which might make it from Europe or an Asian copy. You may never know, but the pics are worth it all. l wish I had a few more pics of my military years.
 
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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,245
Alaska
That's what my gut says too that it looks like a grabow. Something always seems very factory made about grabows. Not sure how to explain it better. But that looks like grabow to me.
Yeah, that and the point that Tom also made is what made me think that, if it was at a PX I can easily see it being a brand like kaywoodie or grabow. They made a lot of royal duke's in the 60s with that metal accent. Maybe something like this one...

grabow15.jpg
 
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seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
I did a Google Image search for "Tobacco Pipe Vietnam War" and this was one of the results. Seems like a good fit. It is from Pininterest and I don't know how Pininterest works but perhaps you can contact the person who posted it. Redirect Notice - https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwje44je3cTlAhVCPVAKHc_wCWsQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F495255290249973563%2F&psig=AOvVaw3RRXYijWxT1IqAV83qpWq2&ust=1572550624396553
(My Dad also served in Vietnam in 68-69).
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ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,378
70,056
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Vegas Baby!!!
Cool story and pics. Back when I was deep into Kaywoodie pipes I'd read that base px's were stacked with Grabows and Kaywoodies.

In a book I'd read about MACV-SOG they mention bribing a villager with a pipe and tins of tobacco.
 
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npod

Lifer
Jun 11, 2017
2,942
1,024
I did a Google Image search for "Tobacco Pipe Vietnam War" and this was one of the results. Seems like a good fit. It is from Pininterest and I don't know how Pininterest works but perhaps you can contact the person who posted it. Redirect Notice - https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwje44je3cTlAhVCPVAKHc_wCWsQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F495255290249973563%2F&psig=AOvVaw3RRXYijWxT1IqAV83qpWq2&ust=1572550624396553
(My Dad also served in Vietnam in 68-69).
View attachment 6618
Thanks for the picture, Seldom. I have been looking (Googling) also. This pipe seems to be a good fit, but when I look closer, my Dad's pipes has a saddle-like stem and it does not appear to be a smooth taper like this one. I am starting to favor Dr. Grabow because they had stems like that.
 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Thanks for the picture, Seldom. I have been looking (Googling) also.
No problem. It is a thoughtful gift idea you have for your father.
Sorry for posting a Google result, it seems like Google sometimes has different results here in Europe but maybe not.
Your reasoning for Dr. Grabow sounds good.
 
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