Dr. Grabow Lines: How the Model Names Changed Over the Years

Dr. Grabow model names divide the brand's roughly century-long production history into two distinct logics: lines identified first by number, then by name. Born within Chicago's M. Linkman & Co., the brand entirely rebuilt its catalogue after moving production to the town of Sparta in North Carolina, replacing its old series numbers with memorable model names.

For this reason, collectors identifying a Dr. Grabow must first determine which period it belongs to. For the brand's general history, see the entry on Dr. Grabow.

The Numbered Series Period

The earliest examples carry no model name; the shank bears only a two-digit shape number and the manufacturer's stamp. As the catalogue expanded in the second half of the 1930s, each line acquired its own starting number. According to records, Ventilator is numbered 63-65, Select Grain 84, Supreme 94-95, and Tru-Grain 60 and 62; for De Luxe the numbers 92, 97, and 98 appear. These numbers most often distinguish not the shape but the finish and color option applied: the natural, dark, and walnut-toned counterparts of the same line were given consecutive numbers. Names such as Ringmaster and Sunset Grain, dated to the 1950s, fall at the tail end of this transition period. Some names sold under the same roof, such as Courtleigh, Hollycourt, and Fifty Grand, are technically separate lines and do not carry the Dr. Grabow stamp.