Sparta Industries
From Pipes, Artisans and Trademarks, by José Manuel Lopes
Sparta Industries is based in Sparta, NC. It was created in the 1940s by David and Paul Lavietes, and originally called D&P Pipeworks. It began production in 1943 and at the end of the 1950s. From 1943-1946 D&P made the Spartan Pipe from locally sourced rhododendron a.k.a. "mountain laurel". These pipes were very utilitarian and blocky, the bits were made of maple and featured a military mount. Pipes made from rhododendron had to be boiled in a boric acid solution to keep them burning when smoked. Both Rhododendron wood and Boric acid are known to be toxic to humans, though there is no evidence that there were any issues with the Spartan pipes. While some Spartan pipes were sold on the domestic market they were mainly produced to be sent to the war effort in Europe and were often included in C-Rations. Once the European briar shortage ended and shipments to the US began again D&P shifted production to traditional pipes made from real briar. Dr. Grabow took it over, at the end of the 1970s Sparta became one of the biggest pipe makers in the USA, and the Dr. Grabow brand was the number one in sales in the country. Today it makes various brands, producing over a million pipes a year, perhaps the largest amount from just one factory.
The company was bought in the 1990s by Lane, Ltd., a giant in the North American distribution sector. It produces and represents various brands, such as Aldo Velani, Alpha, Cesare Barontini, and Mastercraft.
A Mountain Laurel Spartan Pipe with a maple stem most likely made in 1944. The "Genuine Briar" stamp was a tenuous claim at best and was dropped from later pipes.
- D&P Wartime Spartan Pipe with Maple Stem, courtesy Fletcher Hiner
Spartan Pipe 1943
Spartan Military Mount
Spartan Stamp
- Former Dr. Grabow pipe factory on Highway 21 in Sparta, North Carolina
Contact Information
Sparta Industries 1731 US Highway 21 South Sparta, NC 28675 Telephone: 910-372-5529
Offsite Links
- Appalacian History, This is not a pipe..., by Dave Tabler