Dr. Grabow should i buy or should i go?

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Georg_Franz

Georg_Franz

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Hi Brothers,

today (while making my round) i found this offer:

Dr Grabow, unsmoked (old stock), unfiltered, cheap cheap cheap!

I never had a "Dr. Grabow", perhaps one member of this Brotherhood can tell if they´re well manufactured??
This Offer contains unsmoked Dr. Grabows from the 50´s of the last century, the price is very resonable. (~23,50$)

Yes or No? (When yes, which one????)
I need help ;-)

 
I have a few Dr.Grabows that were gifted to me, they seem to smoke well, but are not what I would consider a "great pipe" the ones I have are probably from the 80's and 90's, and I honestly have no idea what they are worth since I have never purchased any of them
 
Grabows are considered drugstore pipes. That said I have a couple of them in my normal rotation along with the usual Savs, Petes, Jarl, etc. Most smoke well, some don't just like any other pipe. I think they are overlooked because they don't have the name of some of the other pipes. $50.00 seems a bit high unless they are a rarity for Dr. Grabow collectors.
Here is a site dedicated to them:

http://drgrabows.myfreeforum.org/index.php?sid=c13a84f8440dc5de0af48b4afec89e6c


 
After 60 Years of Sleeping :)

I like the shape, it seems to be well manufactured.
The Colour is a bit odd. It pretends to have a remarkable grain, but it has not.

At first i thought, "oh i have do do a re-finish" but somehow i get used to it.

I´ll try if she´s a keeper!
 
Something I learned last night while re-finishing my latest Grabow, if you're going embark on this trail, don't use a sandpaper grit any coarser than 600 to take the old finish off. Anything more will leave you with undesirable scratches over the surface and you'll spend hours trying to sand them away.

Fine looking pipe, color aside!
 
Grabows make up about 20% of my collection so I have 50 or so. I have found them to be fine smokers and due to the availability of old display boards I keep finding more reasons to buy them :)
 
Very attractive shape! I would suggest doing nothing on the finish until you've smoked a few bowls; in my experience color can change after smoking; "mellow out" as it were. Enjoy the pipe!
 
one of my first drugstore pipes that I bought was a Grabow Starfire in a bent scoop shape. I bought it around 1965, still have it and it brings back some good old memories. The pipe smoked like a dream after it was broken in and has a great patina. I think you will enjoy your new acquisition, it's a very nice shape and I'm sure it's money well spent. Enjoy.
 
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