Dr. Grabow Pipes

Mike Leverette · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:26 pm Post subject: Linkman’s Dr. Grabow

I have had several Linkman’s Dr. Grabow pipes over the years and have sold all but the last one; primarily to finance my Peterson collection. This last one is on the order of Bing’s favorite; a long slim billiard. Stamped on the near side is “Linkman’s” (block letters) over “Dr. Grabow” (script). On the far side is “9745A” and “De Luxe” (script) over “Bruyere” (block letters). On top of the stem is the circle/bar and on the top of the shank is the shield. The wood, of course, is briar. All-in-all, a very nice pipe. Any info?

By the way, the saliva trap is on bottom!

_________________
Happy puffing
Mike

drbridges · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject:

Pre 1943 probably. Maybe late 1930s. Chicago. Linkman's name disappeared from the stamping about 1943. The propeller, or circle/bar emblem disappeared at the same time. It should have a 2-hole integral cleaner, or spoon.

We could guess more if we knew the shape of the saliva trap notch in the cleaner. They began as square. Then went to Mac's D profile. Then went to a C profile.

After the war briar shortage, the term Bruyere was replaced with Imported Bruyere, and then later changed to Imported Briar.

Linkman's 1937 catalog showed the 45 to be a Lovat saddlebit. The A can mean an alternative shape, and may indicate almost anything. Here is the Linkman 45 shape.

Click to see full size image

Does this look like yours?

Mike Leverette · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:46 pm Post subject:

No! Mine is a billiard with a long slim shank and tapered stem. The cleaner is sort of "S" shape with tar trap on top and slaiva trap on bottom; as pictured in Tom's "What's Wrong" post; top photo.
_________________
Happy puffing
Mike

Sir Duke · Guest

Mike L Said

drbridges · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 4:22 am Post subject:

Mike the 2-hole cleaner has a hole between the saliva and nicotine trap notches, that is aligned with the airway hole. Your Linkman's Dr. Grabow Deluxe should have that second hole.

Also, sometimes the stampings on these old pipes are difficult to read. Yours might be a 9748 shown below. If so, I still don't know what the A might indicate. It appears on Linkman's churchwardens.

Click to see full size image

Linkman used a unique 4-digit stamping to identify his pipes.
9 indicated it was a Deluxe
7 indicated it was a smooth natural finish
48 indicated the shape

Mike Leverette · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

DR
Here is a photo of the Linkman's Dr Grabow. It does have the hole between the traps and the number is definitely 9745A.

http://s261.photobucket.com/album...mp;current=MLCDrGrabowpbm-602.jpg
_________________
Happy puffing
Mike

drbridges · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject:

Okay, the photo helps a lot, Mike. That is the 45 Lovat, but an A with the alternative tapered bit, making it actually a Liverpool shape. Linkman used suffix letters to indicate some variation on a standard shape. He often used a C to indicate a saddle bit for instance. There was the 9714 straight apple Deluxe. And the 9714C, a straight apple Deluxe with a saddle bit. The Churchwardens Mac has collected are also designated as A.

I can't recall what other letter suffixes I've seen used on Linkman pipes.

List it in the Trade/Swap topic. Mac will pay you handsomely for it. He doesn't have a Linkman Liverpool. And his bib overalls have very deep pockets.

LokoMac8 · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:30 am Post subject:

Sir Duke · Guest

Do your Linkman Dr Grabows presumably the mtn laurel & Rhodie varieties , have a plastic cleaner? Mine does (will cross-post in the "cleaner thread"

During WWII not only was briar hard to come buy in the states (although Custombilt managed to get Algerian), Aluminum was also hard to come buy for the fitments as it was needed for aircrafts.

They turned to plastic. See the yellow band and plastic cleaner. The stem is effecively a push stem. The airflow dynamics seem dreadfull as the hole in the bowl is huge, then gets real small for the plastic stinger as it seems to have been mortised into VPW (vulc push Stems) then gets larger in the stem.

As airflow changes speed (do to incr/dcr ) in the rate of flow (do to the changing diameters of the hole) it creates more turbulence and moisture.

This might be thee biggest factor in why they seem to smoke like crap.

Not the wood or shoddy (a Civil War term) craftsmanship, but the result of the war effort, and retro-fitting stingers into pre-drille rubber stems. Remember too, rubber was at a premium as well. Just making do, they were.

Then again if you have a Linkman Dr. G. Deluxe from the 40's that has an aluminum stinger, or tube, maybe it is: the wood, the craftsmanship. . .

just my 2 cents:

LokoMac8 · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:01 am Post subject: Plastic Cleaners of WWII era