| Archive for Dr. Grabow Pipes "America's One and Only" |
| ozark southpaw |
Linkamns Grabow Deluxe-Ebag.You guys have probably seen this one one Ebag. I have been looking for one forever-at least since I first saw Drb's avatar. Question for you Drb,this one is a Deluxe,yours is a Special. They look the same to me! What might the difference be if any? Name?
|
||||||||
| drbridges |
From what we can tell from old DG price lists the Deluxe sold for 50 cents more than the Special.
M. Linkman and the DGPC didn't advertise the DG Special line in their national advertisements, so we don't know how the marketed and sold the Special. This one should have the long 2-hole integral cleaner typical of the Linkman's DG pre-1943. DG 1937 catalog includes the shape #91. DG 1949 catalog does not. So it was discontinued at sometime between then. |
||||||||
| drbridges |
Careful, Oz. If you win that cute DG #91, it may replace the nekkid lady as your favorite pipe. Will there be room in your coffin for 2? Or 3, counting you? | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Yeah, there will be room. I'll leave instructions to wack off a limb or two! Just leave me me my left arm!!! | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Got that pipe in today! First thing that struck me is how SMALL this pipe is!! DrB,what are the dimensions of your pipe? This measures about 5 1/4" long. Your avatar photo and the one on Ebag made me think this would be larger! The stem is also stuck. Had it in the freezer for a while but that didn't do the trick. May have to apply some heat or fill it full of alcohol!! | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
More questions Drb! Is that aluminum piece attached to the shank or the stem on your pipe? Nomenclature on my pipe says Linkmans above DG on top of shank close to bowl. On bottom it says Deluxe over Bruyere about mid way between bowl and stem, shape number9791 close to stem and lastly has patent number on left side of shank. does the "Deluxe" indicate the line or is this one of those pipes made from domestic briar maybe making this strictly a Dr. G and not a "Deluxe" model? | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
DeluxeSpeaking oF Deluxes check this one out if you haven't seen it:http://cgi.ebay.com/DR-GRABOW-DE-...p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318 
[url=http://gallery.myff.org/gallery/437475/New+Grabow+Deluxe1.JPG]  [/u
rl] I love to buy it but can't,bought to many lately! |
||||||||
| drbridges |
5 1/4" is a bit generous. Mine is closer to 5" in length.
The aluminum band that you can see encircling the pipe is part of the female joint and should be attached to the shank. The male threads and cleaner are attached to the stem.
Mine also has Linkman's DG on top of shank, but close to stem instead of close to bowl. Patent number is on the left side of the shank. Underneath the shank it is stamped Italian Briar. Above that is Special. Above that is 4991.
The DG DeLuxe (9700 series) appears to have been DG's most popular line of pipes, judging by what is available from used pipe sellers. DG eventually replaced the term Bruyere with Briar. I don't know if this change happened at once, or happened over a period of years. But if yours is not stamped Imported Bruyere, I am inclined to believe it was produced prior to WWII and the briar shortages. During the briar shortage of WWII many pipe makers resorted to using domestic briar. Pipe makers began stamping IMPORTED to assure their customers they were buying the favored briar. Prior to WWII I don't believe it was an issue because all briar came from the Mediterranean region. |
||||||||
| drbridges |
The display board includes a red circular sticker with FRAT on it. I wonder if that might have been a tobacco organization or association at the time. Are any of you more knowledgeable members aware of FRAT? F... Retail Association of Tobacconists, perhaps? Because the display board includes Union Made, we can estimate the display to the late 1940s. I haven't seen Union Made on DG advertisements from 1947, but it does appear in 1949. Seller claims this comes from a store that closed in 1948, so that may be about right. |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Thanks Drb,I appreciate that information. Still haven't gotten the stem out of this pipe! | ||||||||
| drbridges |
That is a challenge! Especially since the shank is long and possibly fragile to torque. I would be inclined to experiment with a drop of a good penetrating oil like KROIL and persistent vibrations. I'll bet an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner would break the seized threads, but you would have to dunk the entire pipe. You need an ultrasonic probe about the diameter of a pipe cleaner. |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Yes,it will be a challenge especially since the shank had a tiny crack running from the bottom point of the shield toward the stem. It has now opened up and follows the outline of the shield on the left side going back toward the bowl! I've had it in the freezer twice which generally works and have tried heating it and quickly cooling it hoping the expansion and contraction might break it loose. This pipe appears to have been owned by one of those guys who never cleaned his pipes!! May have to try some WD-40,ain't got any Kroil. Haven't seen that stuff around in a long time. Ultrasonics-hmmm. | ||||||||
| drbridges |
Midway sells KROIL. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproduct...exe/showproduct?saleitemid=137203 Shooters using molybdenum coated bullets use KROIL to clean rifle bores. It cleans the fouling without stripping out the molybdenum lubricant from the lands and grooves. |
||||||||
| LokoMac8 |
Mine, also a SPECIAL, measures about 5 1/8", maybe a tad longer if one was to actually follow the curvature of the shank and stem. --RJ-- |
||||||||
| LokoMac8 |
I noticed that crack in the auction photo -- I have a couple of other pipes like that and it almost seemed as though the shield stamping contributed to a fizzure or fault in that area. --RJ-- |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
On my my pipe that shield stamping seems to be fairly deep and as thin as the wood is in that area the stamping probably was responsible for the crack developing. Another question about these pipes-the bowl on mine is champhered on the inside and appears to be champhered on the outer edge as well. It is kinda beat up around the outer edge so its hard to tell. How are yours made? I finally got the stem out!!! |
||||||||
| LokoMac8 |
I think the same, but I haven't as yet cleaned the pipe or taken any photos of it. --RJ-- |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
DRb,would you have a picture? | ||||||||
| drbridges |
Sure thing, Oz. 
|
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Cute!! I guess I should have been more specific!! Would that be you as a little feller? 
|
||||||||
| drbridges |
Chunky little guy, ain't I? | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Yeah, but the boots make you look taller and slimmer!! And the hat!! Were those real cap pistols? | ||||||||
| drbridges |
I believe they were real cap pistols. Probably used the red roll caps. I don't believe they were "Fanner 50s" though. I got the "Fanner 50s" with faux stag grips later.
Best cap pistol I had was made by Rossi. True single action steel revolver. Think they called it the "Little Suzanna." It used blue plastic circular caps - 12-shot, I think. Seemed as loud as a .22LR to me. |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
And I bet you kilt many a bad guy and Indians with 'em! | ||||||||
| ted |
HOWDY PARDNER......SEEN ANY INDIANS COMIN' THIS WAY? | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
DUCK Ted!!HE'S BEHIND YOU!!! | ||||||||
| drbridges |
Silver Duke #81Quite interesting bidding action agoin' on for this Silver Duke #81:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI....RK:MEWAX:IT&item=190286982857 Same seller, same presentation, has a nice Viscount #83 that has attracted only a single bid. If ever I could figure out why one auction goes little noticed while another draws numerous bids, I could make myself rich. |
||||||||
| AmericanHussar |
I know I didn't like that photo - too dark.
I did score this though - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI....RK:MEWNX:IT&item=370159001713 So, what's the significance of the yellow spade? It has "Riviera, Dr Grabow" in thin letters on one side and 'imported briar' on the other. Any idea how old it is? |
||||||||
| steverino |
This is strictly conjecture, but the bidding fervor on the 81 may be related to the reissue of the Kaywoodie 13B shape (author) a year or so ago. There seemed to be a great hue and cry from some quarters for S.M. Frank to do a reissue and once they did, they sold out almost immediately. I could imagine that their popularity and, therefore, scarceness, might have spawned some interest for author shapes from other manufacturers. | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
No. 91Finally got this pipe finished. The rest was made from a chunk of firewood . You would not think so but I used the same stain on both pieces
|
||||||||
| drbridges |
Beautiful job, Oz. You are amazingly good.
AH wrote:
I don't have DG documents that explain the use of colored spades, so this is what I think: 1953: Originally, Sparta's DG pipes featured a white spade on top of the stem pointing to the pipe's bowl. The white spade moved to the left side of the stem as DG introduced new lines of pipes replacing the original DG lines (SPECIAL, DELUXE, STANDARD, TRU-GRAIN, etc.). In about 1957, DG introduced the Ajustomatic WESTBROOK with a red (orange) spade emblem on the pipe stem's left side. The WESTBROOK was a special order coupon pipe, meaning customers ordered it by mail, sight unseen, so the red spade wasn't a marketing gimmick. I haven't seen WESTBROOK literature claiming the red spade as "a mark of quality" or anything like that. The red spade meant only the pipe was a WESTBROOK. Other coupon special offer pipes such as BELVEDERE, BERWYCK, SCULPTURA, EMPEROR didn't feature red spades. In the early 1960's, DG introduced the DUKE filter pipes, and they featured a blue spade, except for the Ajustomatic DUKEs which featured white spades. Probably about this time, DG also introduced push stem pipes using a metal cleaner insert, and these push stem pipes featured a yellow spade emblem. So in the early 1960's DG was producing white spade Ajustomatic pipes, blue spade push stem filter pipes, yellow spade push stem metal cleaner pipes, and red spade WESTBROOKs. This colored spade emblem system was unchanged in 1991. Doug Allen might be able to detail when DG went to all white spades. Perhaps this system helped in the factory sorting and assembly process. Perhaps it was meant to help the customer choose between DG models. Perhaps no one alive today knows why DG used white plus 3 colors of spade emblems. My guess is this wasn't decided in a meeting recorded by an agenda and secretary minutes. DG appears to have functioned more informally, and often decisions were made "on the floor" by management and supervisors. Regardless, sometime after 1991 DG went to all white spade emblems. BTW, Linkman used red spade emblems on his 50 GRAND pipes back in the 1930's. Linkman's DG pipes used white stem emblems. |
||||||||
| steverino |
Beautiful job on the pipe (and rest) OS, my hat's off to ya. | ||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Thanks Drb. I guess there are exceptions to every rule. I have a threaded stem Golden Duke (80) non-ajusto with a white spade. Could spade color have been an indication of price range? | ||||||||
| AmericanHussar |
Thanks for the info. So, maybe early 60's. Does anyone know when the yellow spades stopped being used? That way I have a time span. Ted? |
||||||||
| drbridges |
We need to interview Doug Allen, Max Haynes, or Rick Wooten for that information. I suspect using colored spades was discontinued during Lane Ltd. ownership 1997-2006, but it could have happened earlier under US Tobacco. I have an inside source who says DG was still using colored spades in 1991. Someone could call Rick and ask. |
||||||||
| ted |
Dr. B....Best I can tell you've "hit it " with the colors of the Spades. Into 1991 Grabow was still using that system. Changed during 1991 I suspect.
I always heard that the colors were to help the customers pick the "construction" they wanted off a display that sometimes were only accessable (in the stores) by a step-ladder......for what it's worth.....ted |
||||||||
| drbridges |
That makes sense, ted, except for the red spade WESTBROOK, which no one could see until it arrived in the mail. Early in our research, Mac & I hypothesized that the spade colors might indicate the stem material or the stem supplier. But that quickly went out the window. There is an old WESTBROOK pamphlet that described their high quality German stems, so we figured that was why they had red spade emblems. In an ideal world it would have made sense. |
||||||||
| ted |
I always thought that the Westbrook color was only to be different from the "standard" Grabow colors since it was the first "real" coupon pipe made by Grabow.
I know that doesn't explane Berwyck, Belvedere, and Emperor. They were all being made before I started. White for Sculptura, I know. Pipes were made and only became a Sculptura or Commodore at stamping (the last operation). By the way, Westbrook's spade was Orange when it left the factory. Not red.......ted |
||||||||
| drbridges |
Red can be a difficult color to reproduce. Did DG intend for the WESTBROOK spade to be orange, or did they try to make it red? |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Steve, you don't strike me as a hat wearer but thanks anyway! | ||||||||
| ted |
Dr. B.....I ordered the "trademark material", and I know orange from red....The Westbrook left the factory Orange, at least from 1965 till the offer ended....ted | ||||||||
| drbridges |
Ok, ted, the WESTBROOK spade is orange. It was meant to be orange. It was never intended to be red. It never was red, despite what some eBay sellers describe. 
Maybe it was orange in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary? Linkman's 50 Grand, however, was a red spade. |
||||||||
| drbridges |
What is this shape?This DG pipe shape has me stumped. Does anyone recognize it? Aside from the #83, and the X Series Continentals, I'm unaware DG made any bent saddle bit pipes. Even slightly bent.
The eBay seller auctioning this pipe says it was acquired from a former DG employee. Is it possible this is a custom variation on a DG shape? Or might it be one of Otto's Livorno, Italy DG pipes? |
||||||||
| Playboy |
Well the Deluxe is back on the Bay and I am thinking of getting it. I like the billiard ( i think that is the style) pipes. I have a question for the more learned ones on the panel. Seller claims the deluxe has a stamping of 9601 but in studying RJ's site he makes no mention of a Deluxe 96 model only a Sunset Grain. Can one of you fine gentlemen bring me up to snuff so to speak on this pipe?? | ||||||||
| drbridges |
Tommy, the Chicago DG shape 01 is a straight billiard. You are correct. Most of the Chicago DG DELUXE pipes Mac & I have seen are 9700 series, but there were other DELUXE series.
My DG DELUXE list includes 9200, 9600, 9700, 9800, and 9900. Some of those seem pretty rare, and I doubt all of them were in production during the same time. Mac will be the first to tell you he is behind updating his web page. Mac even has a DELUXE #9603. It is a late production push stem type with a yellow stem and black spade, and skinny metal band that tends to fall off. I assume this is the pipe you're looking at: 
It looks like the one Mac has, except his is a pot shape. It will probably be a push stem with a metal cleaner insert. The seller's description may be accurate, and this pipe may date from 1948, but not any earlier I think. I don't know why, but the later Chicago DG pipes appear to have gone mostly push stem. Perhaps DGPC was squeezed and they were watching overhead costs. But I'm just guessing. For a long time I tried to blame the push stem DG pipes on HL&T. I couldn't believe L. Linkman would abandon his threaded stems. But I'm convinced now that those push stem DG pipes came from DGPC of Chicago. |
||||||||
| drbridges |
Before we drop the subject of colored spades, did Kaywoodie ever make pipes with colored club emblems? I'm not familiar with Kaywoodie pipes, but I know they were a DG competitor, and their pipe styles often mirrored DG styles. | ||||||||
| Playboy |
Thanks for the information Doc!! I think that one might have to come down to Florida, although I think I might save that one just to display and not to smoke. Something about that pipe making it all this time without having been smoked for all these years makes he hate to start smoking it now. Save it as a nice example of a vintage Grabow, and put it up between 2 of my other nice examples of 40's era American Ingenuity. My vintage WWII GI issue 45's. | ||||||||
| ted |
Great question....I've been trying to understand the relationship, Grabow/KYN, for a while. In the 60's and 70's, Grabow seems to be the copiER. After KYM introduced and failed with the Brylon , it seems that KYM became the copiER. Prior to the 70's KYM was the Big Dog and whatever KYM did, Grabow followed. Might have been the B. Martin influence, or friendly competition. Although, during my time at Grabow, I never heard a kind word spoken about KYM. I do not know if KYM used colored trademarks, but I'd bet they did, and Grabow copied them in some way. I'd really like to get into this topic a bit more deeply..... Thanks......ted |
||||||||
| drbridges |
Another Unusual DG ShapeHere is another DG shape I found in my files that seems similar to the pipe I posted earlier that has me stumped. This one I have labeled as a DG DUKE. But this shape is not included in my DG shape charts. So my shape chart must be incomplete.
I suspect the pipe currently on auction at eBay may be an unstamped DUKE. |
||||||||
| drbridges |
DG 9733Dave, you have an interesting DG 9733 on eBay auction right now. The stem on yours is unusually straight for a #33 shape, and doesn't match the 2 previous shapes I've recorded.Here is yours from your auction: 
And 2 others from previous auctions: 
I can't explain the difference; only notice it. |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
I wonder if maybe some one straightened that stem? | ||||||||
| steverino |
Can't contribute much to this topic, but I did see a Kaywoodie recently on ebay that had a red clover. It was billed as an extremely rare model, which seems true as I've never seen one before. It sold for quite a price. |
||||||||
| steverino |
Not much for hats in warm weather, except when I'm cutting grass, but this time of year, yessireebob! Seems like the more hair I lose, the colder I get! |
||||||||
| ozark southpaw |
Guess it's an age thing Steve!! My hairline has receded a bit,the rest has turned almost silver!! I find myself wearing "long John's" until May!! | ||||||||
| Texhealer |
I am certianly no expert, but I do have a few Kaywoodies and have read a LOT about them. I also hang out on The Gray fox message board a lot, and there are some experts there. I have never seen or heard of colored logos.
I too have noticed a connection of some sort in some areas though, be it compitition or colaboration of some sort I have no idea. In fact I can't even remember now why, but I do recall on several occasions wondering if there was a connection of the two at some point. |
||||||||
| drbridges |
Besides being competitors in the close-knit pipe business, Sparta's DG and SM Frank's Kaywoodie had more in common. It was a cigar shop owner in Washington, DC. An interesting story.
ted has to tell it. |
||||||||
| ted |
http://www.grayfoxonline.com/FRANK.html
Just interesting reading......ted |
||||||||
| drbridges |
Thanks for sharing that, ted.
From the grayfoxonline site:
So, another curious similarity between DG & Kaywoodie. Both of them had connections in Livorno, Italy. What are the odds? The online article must be written by someone inside Kaywoodie - S. M. Frank, or they would have admitted BRYLON was a huge stupid mistake that almost destroyed the entire enterprise. |
||||||||
| LokoMac8 |
Re: DG 9733
This is an interesting subject -- I have many pipes of different shapes with bent stems and with a duplicate sample that is the same in every aspect EXCEPT for the stem is only slightly bent or almost straight. Other than poor quality control, I don't really have an answer for what happened. The stems all seem to be flushed and original to the pipes they are on. This has occurred on both old Linkman's Dr. Grabows and ones made in Sparta, but more often on the former it seems. I don't think there is any way a stem, say left laying on the dashboard in direct sunlight or something of that nature, could cause the stem to try to assume it's natural straight orientation is there? --RJ-- |
||||||||