Dr. Grabow Pipes

ahgar · Grand Duke Joined: 01 Oct 2009 Posts: 24

thanks i'll give him a try. glad it's a good smoker cause it's definitely a looker.

LokoMac8

OK, 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--

ozark southpaw · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:06 am Post subject:

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.
_________________
The only thing shorter than my memory is a certain part of my anatomy!

LokoMac8 · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject: