BWThomas
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Newest GrabowI strolled into a Walgreens today at lunch time and spied three new pipes on the rack where there were and have been none for the past several weeks. All three were labeled Grand Duke. The first two were smallish carved bowls, kind of an apple or a pear, not really readily distinguishable, not at at all attractive, nor something I wanted. Low and behold, the last one on the peg was a beauty. The nicest looking Grabow I've seen at a drugstore in years.
I posted about this earlier today, but I just wanted to share some pictures.
        
click to enlarge
What fascinated me about this pipe is that it has some character, as opposed to all the other plain jane Grabow pipes I've seen on the retail store shelves over the past two years.
This Dublin is actually stamped "Grand Duke", I haven't seen a new pipe stamped with the line name in years. It has an oval stem, first ever oval stem I've seen on a new Grabow ever. The stamping is on the bottom of shank. The fitting is of the wide band type (8mm). And it has an 1/8 bent stem. There is one noticable fill on the bowl (if you're looking for it), but no leaf carving.
I am really happy with this pipe. If IPA continues to put out pipes like this one, and I'll be looking, I will continue to purchase new pipes on a regular basis. I sure do hope someone there in Sparta is listening.
BW
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steverino
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Barry, you need to visit the factory. There's plenty of these in the Reserve display case in the lobby. Bought one myself.
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BWThomas
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| steverino wrote: | | Barry, you need to visit the factory. There's plenty of these in the Reserve display case in the lobby. Bought one myself. |
Yep....well that was the plan, but by the time I finished shifting my vacation around my workload, it fell on a week when they were shutdown along with a ton of other things that cropped up and got in the way. I'll get there.
BW
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steverino
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Maybe there could be another joint trip involving various members of the DGCF. And lunch, or something. Got to hurry though, or ted'll done be back in Florida.
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BWThomas
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| steverino wrote: | | Maybe there could be another joint trip involving various members of the DGCF. And lunch, or something. Got to hurry though, or ted'll done be back in Florida. |
I don't think I can do anything until January...already have burned through three weeks of vacation...nothing left. I'd have to do some voodoo comp time thing to get a few days. I sure do want to get down to the factory though.
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ozark southpaw
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I like that pipe . I would buy those,even though it has an ABS stem. !!
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ted
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| steverino wrote: | | Maybe there could be another joint trip involving various members of the DGCF. And lunch, or something. Got to hurry though, or ted'll done be back in Florida. |
Hey...Y'all don't need me "for to" have a great time at the factory, and in Sparta. I'd really like to meet everyone on the Forum.....including you Emmit....., but the winters in Sparta can be BRUTAL. Cold, Snow, and Wind......We in Sparta are closer to the "North Pole" than we want to believe.....ted
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LokoMac8
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| BWThomas wrote: | | steverino wrote: | | Maybe there could be another joint trip involving various members of the DGCF. And lunch, or something. Got to hurry though, or ted'll done be back in Florida. |
I don't think I can do anything until January...already have burned through three weeks of vacation...nothing left. I'd have to do some voodoo comp time thing to get a few days. I sure do want to get down to the factory though. |
My next visit will be either spring, summer or fall of next year and I am planning on bringing the wife this time. Of course, TED must be there on my visit. Hopefully we can pick some tentative dates for another "group" meeting by the end of November as that is when I have to turn in my request for vacation time for next year.
No matter what date we choose, probably not everyone that wants to come will be available and able to. It'd be nice to firm up a date that would be friendly to the most possible and really have a nice DGCF contingent there. --RJ--
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ted
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| LokoMac8 wrote: | | My next visit will be either spring, summer or fall of next year and I am planning on bringing the wife this time. Of course, TED must be there on my visit. Hopefully we can pick some tentative dates for another "group" meeting by the end of November as that is when I have to turn in my request for vacation time for next year. |
RJ...Joy and I are thrilled to think that Teri will come next year. Same rules apply. We will pick y'all up in Charlotte. You have a place to stay, and a "bed and breakfast" for as long as you can stay.....I'm already getting excited....ted
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ahgar
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sweet pipe, how does it smoke? there are about 3 or 4 pipes on my must get list of the current crop of grabows
the one in this thread a dublin
a freehand
a big pipe either bent or straight or both,
a royalton rhodesian
i called the factory the other day and spoke to a very nice gentleman re the age of a pipe i have. tried to talk him into making adjustos again but he said no. dangit.
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BWThomas
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| ahgar wrote: | sweet pipe, how does it smoke? there are about 3 or 4 pipes on my must get list of the current crop of grabows
the one in this thread a dublin
a freehand
a big pipe either bent or straight or both,
a royalton rhodesian
i called the factory the other day and spoke to a very nice gentleman re the age of a pipe i have. tried to talk him into making adjustos again but he said no. dangit. |
It smokes very well ahgar. Not as good as the Crown Duke Dublin I got from OS, but pretty good for a new pipe. I figure after I break it in it will do just fine.
If you don't find those pipes you're looking for local or at the factory, try here: wvsmokeshop.com
He has just posted some new inventory. You actually get what you select when you buy from this site.
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ahgar
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thanks i'll give him a try. glad it's a good smoker cause it's definitely a looker.
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LokoMac8
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Silver STAMPED, not inlaid, Spaded StemsOK, got just a minute here, so would like to mention some odd pipes that I am having a hard time dating. The first one of these oddities I acquired was a Dr. Grabow VAN ROY. Van Roy was sort of an oddball line of Dr. Grabow pipes and certainly quite a ways from "top-of-the-line". So it wasn't a total surprise when I got an older one and the spade on the stem wasn't inlaid, but a simple stamping with silver looking coloring. (The later ones were made in Italy it seems, and had no spade at all). In the photos below, the Van Roy is on top, then the two DUKEs:
Recently, however, I came across a couple of Dr. Grabow DUKE pipes that I knew I just had to have. I could tell from photos that they ALSO HAD THIS STAMPED SPADE TREATMENT. They seem older, and have the spade stamping on TOP of the stem, pointed toward the bowl as early HL&T Grabows did. They don't appear to be "little Dukes" though, and one is definitely a #10 apple of HL&T make. They all have that sort of bold letter looking "Dr. Grabow" name stamping:
Now, it gets interesting, if it already wasn't interesting enough. One of the DUKEs is a filter pipe, which is no surprise, but the other DUKE is a PUSH STEM!!! The stems will not interchange as the tenon hole is not the same size:
The rustification on the DUKE apple is only on the SIDES of the bowl and shank, which is the first time I have seen one done that way. The stems are that softer plastic, as you can probably tell from the teeth marks and scratches on them.
This is just the sort of thing that makes me scratch my head and go, "hmm . . ."
--RJ--
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ozark southpaw
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Those are interesting Mac,but I'd even so I'd trade some nice Larks for them!!
Never saw a plain"Duke" that used a filter. All of mine have that goofy hour glass stinger.
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LokoMac8
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| ozark southpaw wrote: | Those are interesting Mac,but I'd even so I'd trade some nice Larks for them!!
Never saw a plain"Duke" that used a filter. All of mine have that goofy hour glass stinger. |
No deals on Lark's, with or without Mixture 79 thrown in!
WOW, the plain DUKEs I have and the few I have seen were all filter pipes until I got these. Of course, they are much newer, and I think all my other "little DUKEs" were actually made in Italy.
I called it a "rook" cleaner because it reminded me of the chess piece, but I like your "goofy hour glass" description, too. The EARLY Belvederes had that cleaner as well. Later ones had the common spoon one. Still haven't figured out the why and wherefore of those cleaners as far as the design and why they used different designs on occasion. Even some of the Italian Dr. Grabows used a crude copy of the hour-glass one. --RJ--
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