Dr Grabow Viscount Five Pipe Set in Fitted Case, Unsmoked

Description

Dr Grabow might just be the quintessential American working man’s pipe. Created in 1932 by Linkman & Co., the Dr Grabow name soon became a staple in the American pipe world, being still produced today and enjoyed by novices and veterans alike.

Though rare today, in the early to mid-20th century it was quite common for established pipe manufacturers to offer matched pipe “sets.” One rationale for this was that it allowed pipe smokers to “rotate” pipes from their various brand, allowing one to cool and rest while the other was put to work. But the other reason these sets were offered was that they were ideal gifts or awards to one’s family members or employees. The pipes were beautifully presented in specially fitted cases and were, despite being a common practice, rather exclusive, with such sets typically requiring advance ordering and even perhaps a long waiting list. Whether it was Barling’s, BBB, Dunhill, Kaywoodie, Weber—or even non-traditional makes like Stanwell or Preben Holm—just about every reputable manufacturer in the 20th century offered something of the sort, at some point or another. With the decline in the number of pipe smokers as the century progressed, however, the (already limited) production of such sets was similarly, drastically, reduced, making them all but a relic of a distant past today. They have consequently become collector’s items, often attracting even greater interest (and indeed prices) than they did at the time that they were made, especially if they are unsmoked.

This matched set of Dr Grabow pipes, from their iconic Viscount line, is completely unsmoked, and in remarkable condition for its age (estimated to be mid-20th century). It features five classic shapes—a bulldog, a saddle billiard, a Zulu, a pot, and an apple—each exhibiting beautiful grain and the same, light brown finish. There are some minor scuffs to the case, but nothing major at all.