Anyone wanna take a tour of the Dr. Grabow Pipe Factory in Sparta NC?
Bonanzadriver
Master
As I assume many of you here may have done, I've joined a few different pipe smokers forums.
A couple of weeks ago I came across a Dr. Grabow site...
http://drgrabows.myfreeforum.org/
Like here, there are a lot of really nice folks that love their pipes.
As it turns out one of the members invited me up to Sparta, about 2
1/2 to 3 hours from here, for a tour of the Dr. Grabow factory. So my
son and I are gonna head up day after tomorrow, have breakfast with
several of the members and then take a tour of the factory.
I'm really looking forward to this for several reasons, one of which
is the fact that I have never been to a pipe factory. Another one is
that I'm gonna get a chance to tour the factory where my very first pipe
ever was produced, a Bent Bulldog.
That first pipe has been lost to time, so, if things work out maybe
I'll be able to replace that lost briar with a new one, from the
factory. 
I'd be willin to bet, that if anyone here is close to Sparta NC and wanted to join the group, that they'd be able to.
Let me know if you wanna join and I'll reach out to the gentlemen that invited my son and I and get ya on the list.
Cheers
Dino
Comments
Thanks for your moral support (in my best Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice commercial voice)
Bonanzadriver, where in NC are you? Sounds like your pretty close to me then if your the same distance.
Have fun.
just got home from the trip.
Live in Pinehurst.
About a 3 hour hike each way.
I'm beat, been a long week. Will update with some pics either later tonight or tomorrow.
Dino
I was just exhausted though and didn't take time to post about it. I worked 5 straight days volunteering for the USGA National Amateur Four Ball Championship Tournament. By the time we mad that road trip I came home, had a beer and went to bed. Been at work all day and decided to take a break.
So, in a nutshell, I shared with the members of the group and the GM of the Plant that my very first pipe ever was a DR. Grabow Bent Bulldog Royalton. The GM, Rick, shared during the tour that they had all but discontinued making the Bent Bulldog simply because it required many extra steps in production and wasn't cost effective.
Being more than a bit disappointed at hearing that I had settled for the fact that I would not be leaving there with a replacement for my long lost first pipe.
At the end of the tour they had several boxes of pipes, some finished, others not, that were available for sale to the group and highly discounted prices. While I was pickin through the boxes I actually found a couple of unfinished Bent Bulldogs! I snatched em up.
Then Rick appeared outta nowhere, tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a beautiful Bent Bulldog Royalton with an amber acrylic bit. Said he had found it in some of their old inventory. I coulda gave the guy a hug!
So, when it was all said and done with I picked up the Royalton, 2 unfinished smooth bent BD's, one rusticated bent BD and a few of the CDL's. Heck, one of the CDL's was a Bulldog!
I'll try to get some pic's posted tonight or over the weekend.
Oh, almost forgot, we rolled into town and met the group for breakfast before we went to the plant. After the tour, most of us then descended upon a park there in town and smoked our pipes. Turns out it was a tobacco & pipe swap as well. Being unaware of these plans I didn't bring anything to swap, but I did go home with over a pound of various english and lat blends. I'll be shipping out some reciprical Aro's to those that loaded me up.
Back in the day they had 440 employees.
Today they have 28.
Heartbreaking really when you think about it.
They are great little pipes. Not near as big as many of the Italian or Handcrafted one's we've all grown accustomed to over the years. 20% of their pipes fall into what I would consider a petite or Lady's pipe.
Turns out that most of their profit is derived from the filter sales and pipe cleaner sales. Probably explains why everything they make now is a filter pipe.
From what I learned, it seems that China is one of their larger customer bases as well.
I am admittedly a CSOB. And usually buy most of my smoking supplies online, at the lowest price point.
After learning that the majority of their profit is derived from their filter and pipe cleaner operations I think I'll start buying their cleaners, as I don't use filters.
Ricks comments to me were that their filter and cleaner operation has enabled them to stay in the pipe making business.
Several of the employees there were 2nd and 3rd generation at that plant. The person with the shortest tenure had been there 20 or 23 years.
Rick also shared with me that back in the day the average employee only had one or two job duties. Now the average is 8 to 10 different job duties.
Despite the decimation of their industry and subsequently their company's business, the folks there were truly happy and gracious hosts. No sense of bitterness at all.
The gang from the Dr. Grabow Collectors forum were a great group as well. Like nearly every pipe enthusiast I've met in the last 8 months or so of my pipe journey, they were welcoming, helpful and good hearted people.
I look forward to the next Dr. Grabow Group get-together.
Great smokers! I smoked three different ones yesterday, not to mention the 4 or so estates I already owned.
Good vale for the money to be sure.
One of my favorite smokers is a beautiful little Dr. Grabow Viscount Zulu. The ever so slightly bent bit, though missing the white emblem, is in fantastic shape, as is the stummel.
This is my designated golfing pipe. As a matter of fact, I was cleanin it up this evening in preparation for tomorrows round.
I agree with you ghost. They truly are the unsung heroes in most of our collections. Rugged little smokers and really the perfect size for totin around and gettin in a smoke or two, time permitting.