Holy Grails of Collecting Thread

[bgilbert44]

Hey, y'all! Got a few questions for everyone here just out of curiosity:

1. What do you consider to be the Holy Grail of Weber Grill collecting? Is there just one item or do you put multiple grills there in your own opinion?

2. What is your personal Holy Grail item that you would like to get for your own collection (if you don't already own it)?

For me,
1. In terms of actually released grills, the Westerner may top the list, but you could make the argument for various other vintage models or even the unique one-offs we've seen pop up over the years.

2. I'd LOVE to own one of the big Stainless Steel Ranch Kettles from the Weber Grill Restaurants. That or make one myself but it would cost a lot of money to do so. Also, I'd love to build a replica of the Wishing Well one day as none are known to exist currently, if at all.

I'd love to hear what everyone's thoughts are and drum up some good conversation. Fire away, folks!

[dwnthehatch]

A Ranger was always my Grail. I have had one for several years now. Now it is the Meat Cut.

[ASpitzer]

My holy grail would be an early Suburbanite. I would love to find an early Ranch mothership. Don't know for sure where I'd put the beast but sure would like to find one.

[stillgriller]

I'm interested to see what rarities folks come up with.

[AS in SA]

My first grail was any 26" - got into Weber kettles in the early 00's when there were no 26rs be made - modern 26 was still years away.  Finally found an early 80's fleetwood and spent about $300 in shipping to get it - still have it and use it often.  Then I found out they made a red 26" - The Aristocrat.  Searched high/low for years and missed a couple, but never able to find/acquire one.  I'd all but given up until last year when a fellow WKC member posted one not too far away and I was able to pick it up.  I'm mostly retired from collecting, but a vintage mothership/ranch would be awfully hard to resist.

[bamakettles]

Aristocrat 26", Gourmet 22" and Yachtsman 18" were my tops.... having those I'd say my grail would be a pristine 22" Glen Blue Wood Dale.  That said, finding the time to cook on the ones I have sounds pretty damn skippy.  I took the day off yesterday to do nothing but play in the back yard with my dog and grills.  I seasoned my plancha on a '73 Texan, detail cleaned my '75 Gourmet, experimented low n slow with a Jumbo Joe and cooked flat iron steak on the Summit all of which was more fun than going to pick up another kettle to sit and look at.  Time is a valuable commodity indeed.

[OkieGirl]

Aristocrat 26", Gourmet 22" and Yachtsman 18" were my tops.... having those I'd say my grail would be a pristine 22" Glen Blue Wood Dale.  That said, finding the time to cook on the ones I have sounds pretty damn skippy.  I took the day off yesterday to do nothing but play in the back yard with my dog and grills.  I seasoned my plancha on a '73 Texan, detail cleaned my '75 Gourmet, experimented low n slow with a Jumbo Joe and cooked flat iron steak on the Summit all of which was more fun than going to pick up another kettle to sit and look at.  Time is a valuable commodity indeed.

That sounds like a great day off.  Jealous.

Edit - And by the way, how did the low and slow work out on the JJ?

[OkieGirl]

A Seville Chariot. 
I usually prefer the smaller grills (like Smokey Joe or 18").
And the regular Seville carts really don't do much for me.  But that chariot - ooh la la.

Pretty sure I'll never even see one in person, much less own one, sigh...

[bgilbert44]

My holy grail would be an early Suburbanite. I would love to find an early Ranch mothership. Don't know for sure where I'd put the beast but sure would like to find one.

I'm after a vintage Mothership myself! Preferably an MLH or even a flat top Ranch but I'll take what I can find. I already own a standard Ranch Kettle but it would be so cool to have that piece of history to go along with it. Maybe I'll make it a stretch goal to try and get every variant out there lol (Original Flat Lid (1953-55), Mothership (1956-1991), Modern (1992-present), and the all-Stainless Restaurant Ranch)

[RRRanger99]

A red Weber Smokey Joe Platinum 18.5" "Outrider."

An 18.5" red Weber "Coca Cola." One Touch.

[bamakettles]

Aristocrat 26", Gourmet 22" and Yachtsman 18" were my tops.... having those I'd say my grail would be a pristine 22" Glen Blue Wood Dale.  That said, finding the time to cook on the ones I have sounds pretty damn skippy.  I took the day off yesterday to do nothing but play in the back yard with my dog and grills.  I seasoned my plancha on a '73 Texan, detail cleaned my '75 Gourmet, experimented low n slow with a Jumbo Joe and cooked flat iron steak on the Summit all of which was more fun than going to pick up another kettle to sit and look at.  Time is a valuable commodity indeed.

That sounds like a great day off.  Jealous.

Edit - And by the way, how did the low and slow work out on the JJ?

The JJ worked really well.... I experimented with a low and slow setup which consists of a round basket, pizza stone, drip tray (pizza pan) and cooking grate.  I put some used B&B briquettes in it from a vortex cook which filled it about half way.  Then I added about 7 more new B&B briqs and a couple chunks of pecan and let it go while doing other things around the yard.  It held 250 - 275 for a good 8 hours.  I couldn't believe it.  Of course I had no protein in it which may have helped it last longer.  It needs more head space really to do larger cuts but I'll bet a lot can still fit in it.  The outrider would hold the same temps I believe and have more height for a large shoulder.  Lots of fun which is the name of the game........

[OkieGirl]

Wow, you really thought that out!  8 hours - that is interesting. I'm picturing some nice rib sections in the rack in the 4th pic.
I have the same handle on my JJ bowl vent. But not the lid - I better get with the program! LOL

[bamakettles]

Wow, you really thought that out!  8 hours - that is interesting. I'm picturing some nice rib sections in the rack in the 4th pic.
I have the same handle on my JJ bowl vent. But not the lid - I better get with the program! LOL

Well these pics were a couple years old when I first bought the basket from Slowhand.  Here's the pics I took on Monday. : )  I need to replace the Tom Horsman file handles as they're getting rusty.


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[michaelmilitello]

In general, I think the classic red 22 mbh is the grail of most collectors.   Granted, they're not uncommon, but how many of us don't have one if you've been collecting for a while?   It is, after all, the Weber logo.  To me it's the epitome of a Weber. 

My grail is a glen blue Wood Dale or a green mbh 22.   


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[1spacemanspiff]

Aristocrat 26", Gourmet 22" and Yachtsman 18" were my tops.... having those I'd say my grail would be a pristine 22" Glen Blue Wood Dale.  That said, finding the time to cook on the ones I have sounds pretty damn skippy.  I took the day off yesterday to do nothing but play in the back yard with my dog and grills.  I seasoned my plancha on a '73 Texan, detail cleaned my '75 Gourmet, experimented low n slow with a Jumbo Joe and cooked flat iron steak on the Summit all of which was more fun than going to pick up another kettle to sit and look at.  Time is a valuable commodity indeed.

(Yellow Offset, Chromoveill Custom) Well said, just listened to "Time Stand Still"  by Rush.