Comoy's
The history of Comoy’s pipes really begins with Henri Comoy, who was born on 13 October 1850 in Avignon- les- Saint-Claude, a small hamlet of 43 houses and 235 inhabitants in the central Jura, on the outskirts of Saint-Claude,in eastern France, then a large village of almost 5900 inhabitants.
A place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages, Saint-Claude built its economy on woodworking, turning objects in wood and bone, images of saints and rosaries in the 15th century, then gradually secularised production: spoons, flutes, bowls, then, after the introduction of tobacco in France in the 16th century, snuff boxes in wood, bone or horn. Then came candy boxes, kitchen utensils, spinning wheels, skittles, etc…
Like all small-scale industries in the mountains, woodturning was practised by a very large number of peasants, most of whom worked as a family and, in this mountainous and therefore snowy region, worked in winter with wood or bone, a local and cheap resource that provided the family with an income.
It wasn't until the 19th century that the pipe industry was born in Saint-Claude, thanks to the fad created by Napoleon's armies, who, along with the cigars they brought back from Spain, spread the use of pipes in France. "At that time, the workers in the Saint-Claude region made only boxwood or horn stems, adapted to the porcelain bowls brought from Germany. Soon the turners began to make pipes from local woods. The woods used (walnut, cherry, pear and even boxwood) were not resistant to combustion and the pipes had a very unpleasant taste. A pipemaker returning from the Beaucaire Fair had the idea of using briar root to make pipes. The new material, which was very hard, gave complete satisfaction and the industry took off by leaps and bounds...". (André Mathieu, Les petites industries de la montagne dans le Jura Français. Annales de Géographie, 1929).
In 1854, there were 9 wood and bone carvers, 17 wood turners and 3 metal turners in Saint-Claude. ....
Louis Henri Comoy was born on 13 October 1850 in a small village of 235 inhabitants on the outskirts of Saint-Claude, to a peasant family who, like all their neighbours, probably turned wood in winter. In the 1851 census of Avignon, the 235 inhabitants were mainly farmers, turners and farmer-turners.
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Henri was named Louis Henri at birth, but always used his middle name. He was the son of Claude Hermann Comoy, born in Avignon on 24 July 1819, who was called Hermann. Hermann's father was François Joseph Emmanuel Toussaint Comoy, born on 3 November 1787, also in Avignon, who will be called Emmanuel Toussaint or Emmanuel according to the acts. He was a farmer, the son of a farmer. The legend of François Comoy, who founded a pipe factory in Saint-Claude in 1825, remains a legend.
It was the next generation, Henri's father (Hermann) and Henri's uncles (Louis and Olivier), who began to turn wood with the development of the briar (heather) industry. On 20 March 1842, Hermann Comoy married Césarine Odobez from Avignon. They had five children, the second being Henri. He had one sister and four brothers. At the time, Hermann was either a farmer or a turner, depending on the documents. After a short stay in Saint-Claude, the family moved to Pontarlier around 1866 and Hermann Comoy became a full-time woodturner. Mobilised in 1870 (he was twenty years old), Henri was interned in Switzerland in February 1871 with the Army of the East, known also as the Bourbaki Army. He did not rejoin his regiment in April 1871 and was lost for several years, but the Comoy family was listed in the Brussels directory in 1878, with Hermann still listed as a woodturner.
It is likely that Henri stayed with his family in Brussels for some time before going to London on a scouting mission. In April 1880, Henri went to the London Embassy to regularise his situation and declared that he was living at 14 Great Turnstile in Holborn.
There's no trace of Henri Comoy, pipemaker, in the London directory before 1888.
In the 1891 census, at 11 Charles Street, Hatton Garden (Holborn), we find Henri Comoy, 40, pipe maker, employer, declared a Swiss citizen with his wife Anna Comoy (whose maiden name was Beausire) 36. No children.
At 14 Great Turnstile we find Gustave D. (for Daniel) Comoy, French, single, 36, Tobacco pipe maker, as well as Comoy Armand (for Hermann) 72, no occupation, Cesarine, his wife, 69, no occupation, Elisa their daughter, 45, single, housewife and Samuel, their son also single, 34, tobacco pipe maker, virtually the entire Comoy family (missing Louis Désiré, who had died in Brussels in 1878, and Jules, who was 24 at the time, but we know that if he was absent on census day, he would not be counted).
In the 1901 census, ten years later, we find Henri Comoy, his wife, children and Chapuis nephews at 4 Newcastle Place. The Chapuis family originally came from Lausanne, Switzerland. Their father, Charles Pierre Chapuis, was a watchmaker and their mother, Fanny Beausire, was the elder sister of Henri Comoy's wife, Anna Beausire. They had seven children: Julien, Léon, Amélie, Emile, Louis, Alice and Charles. Orphaned in 1896, Louis and Charles (Louis is 19, Charles 15) moved to London to live with their aunt, Anna Comoy, and their uncle by marriage, Henri, who taught them and his sons Adrien and Paul the craft.
The 1901 London census records the Comoy family at 4 Newcastle Square, where Henri Comoy, his wife Anna, sons Paul and Adrien and daughter Jeanne lived. Also living there were Louis and Charles Chapuis, as well as a Swiss pipe maker, Louis Mayland, and a wood turner from Saint-Claude, Henri Guyon-Messager, who joined Henri Comoy in London after 1896 with his wife and daughter, all making pipes at 4 Newcastle Square. Henri Comoy is credited with being the author of the appellation “London Made”.
The legend of the two piper families, Chapuis and Comoy, combining their talents remains a legend. Henri Comoy was unable to meet his nephews when he was interned in Switzerland in 1871, for the simple reason that they were not yet born, and they did not become his nephews until he married in 1890. Henri Comoy, the first real pipe maker in the family and founder of the company, took in his wife's nephews, who were orphans at the time (Louis was 19 in 1896, Charles 15), taught them the craft and later involved them in the business, as they would become directors of the company in the same capacity as his sons.
In 1914, Henri Comoy set up H.Comoy & Co. Ltd with his nephews Louis and Charles and his sons Adrien and Paul.
Henri's brothers continued to make pipes on their own account in the United Kingdom. There is a record of the death in London in September 1893 of a Daniel Comoy, born in 1855. It is highly likely that he was Henri's brother. As for Samuel, he is listed in the 1901 Edinburgh electoral register as a briar pipe maker at 4 Greenside Place in Edinburgh, and Jules Comoy can be found as a self-employed pipe maker around 1900 in Walthamstow, on the outskirts of London. Emile Chapuis, an older brother of Louis and Charles, was 21 when his father died. He did not join his brothers in London, but settled in Paris, where he sold Saint-Claude pipes wholesale after the First World War, but the brothers kept in touch.
H. Comoy & Co. Ltd was established in 1914. It was a partnership between Henri, his sons Adrien and Paul and his nephews Louis and Charles. Earlier, in 1910, the workshop on the site had been extended and by 1913 the address was 2 and 4 Newcastle Place. In the 1914 London Directory, H. Comoy & Co. Ltd now occupied an imposing building at 72 to 82 Rosebery Avenue, not far from the previous premises.
The company expanded into the USA. Louis, Charles Chapuis, Paul and Adrien Comoy made many trips to New York. In 1921, the New York branch, The House of Comoy, was opened at 342 Madison Avenue in New York. It was entrusted to Samuel Nathan Zinberg, born in 1882, director for the United States, who died in 1937.
At the very beginning of the 1920s, the French market was served by Chapuis-Comoy, founded in 1922 in Saint-Claude by Louis, Charles and Emile Chapuis in partnership with Adrien and Paul Comoy.
Henri Comoy died at the age of 74 on 25 January 1924 in London (Finchley) and was buried on 30 January in St Marylebone Cemetery, leaving the Company in the hands of his sons and nephews.
In 1929, H. Comoy&Co. Ltd became part of Cadogan Invesments Ltd, created by the Oppenheimer Group, which at that time already owned a number of very important and well-known brands such as Maréchal & Ruchon (GBD), Civic &Co Ltd, BBB de Frankau, Sina, Verguet Frères, Orlik and Loewe.
Around 1938, H. Comoy&Co Ltd moved to new premises at 90-92 Pentonville Road, apparently retaining the Rosebery Avenue premises a little over 500 metres away.
The next generation had already joined the company when the Second World War broke out. Louis Chapuis jr (son of Louis) joined in 1938 and Pierre Comoy (son of Adrien) in 1947 after serving in the Royal Armoured Corps. Both fought in the war as officers.
They will be the last generation to effectively work for the Company.
"...The Second World War was a difficult period for the company, because the whole of industry in Great Britain was turned over to the production of armaments and the war effort, consequently the manufacture of pipes ceased, except for a small workshop. After the war ended in 1945, it was an uphill struggle for all British companies to once again get established, and it was not until 1950, and the opening of a new purpose built factory in Aldershot, that production nearly met demand...."
"...The main manufacturing companies in the merger known as Cadogan Investments Ltd were Civic, Comoy’s and Marechal Ruchon & Co Ltd, and in the early 1960s manufacture came under one management, but the marketing departments continued working independently for a number of years. My 1965 catalogue makes the following statement “And now, we the Comoy's of the fourth generation, together with those of the fifth, Pierre Comoy and Louis Chapuis, continue to follow the course set by our forefathers, who would be gratified to see our latest ultra modern plant in Aldershot Hampshire.” Comoy’s remained a family owned company until it was finally taken over by Cadogan Investments during the early 1980’s. Cadogan have continued to manufacture Comoy pipes to the present day and, under Michael Adler, the Comoy brand is their flagship and efforts are being made to once more re-instate the well known quality of the brand...."
"...The collector of Comoy pipes is really only interested in those pipes made before Comoy was finally taken over by Cadogan in the early 1980’s and I have therefore concentrated on that period. I have also, for the purpose of this article only briefly mentioned some of the other brands made by Comoy’s such as Cecil, Every Man, Town Hall, Guildhall etc, where they can contribute some evidence to help in dating..." (A History Of Comoy's and A Guide Toward Dating the Pipes written by Derek Green [1]).
- 1907 Example and detail, courtesy Racine & Laramie Tobacconist
- An early Comoy's stamped (H.C) over LONDON MADE. The silver band includes H.C. and STERLING LONDON, but has no hallmark date. Estimated to be circa 1891 - 1905, based on other examples. Courtesy Doug Valitchka.
- A beautifully restored 1916 Comoy's Cased Pocket Pipe from the collection of Mark Achtman, courtesy Anthony Cook
The second part of this article is an excerpt from A History Of Comoy's and A Guide Toward Dating the Pipes written by Derek Green , published in the June 2006 issue of The Pipe Collector. The official newsletter of the North American Society of Pipe Collectors (NASPC), and is used here by permission. It's a great organization--consider joining.
In addition to seeing the complete article A History Of Comoy's and A Guide Toward Dating the Pipes here on Pipedia, more detailed information on Names, Grades, etc., as well as photo examples can be found at Derek Green's Website.
1920 Hallmarked Super Sports w/Double stamp
The following pipe is unique in that it is double stamped, “London Made” and then fainter “Made in London”. Both are in the rugby style (click the image to enlarge):
- 1920 Super Sports w/Double Stamp, courtesy Tim Lomprey
- Comoy's made for Geo. M. Wagner hallmarked 1921, courtesy Tim Lomprey
Special STRAIGHT GRAIN
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Here's a brief explanation from "MrCan" Tony Soderman: The History of the "Special STRAIGHT GRAIN" (like all early Comoy's) is murky at best! Special STRAIGHT GRAINS were rarely available and were offered with the same frequency of Specimen Straight Grains (generally regarded as the "rarest pipe in pipe-collecting" as only one in every 10,000 Comoy's became a Specimen). Also, much like the fabled Specimen, Special STRAIGHT GRAINS were NOT included on Comoy's Price Lists! (They were not distributed with other Comoy's but were held at the factory and were available upon special request to retailers.
Dating: This is stamped in a circle with “MADE” at the top, “IN” in the middle, and “ENGLAND” forming the bottom of the circle. This can be seen on a Cecil as early as 1910 and on an Old Bruyere of 1921 and more frequent from the 1930s. It can also appear as “MADE” arched, “IN” below, and “ENGLAND” arched the other way. These stamps are in an oval rugby-ball shape rather than a circle round shape.
- Special Straight Grain examples and details, courtesy Doug Valitchka
- And here is a similar issue on pipes branded as Selected Straight Grain, courtesy Doug Valitchka
*Greg Pease has a nice collection of Comoy's, some excellent examples and photos of which can be seen on his website.
- Examples and details, couresy Blaik-Pipes
COMOY’S LONDON MADE 235 Courtesy of Blaik-Pipes
COMOY’S EXTRAORDINAIRE 61 XL Courtesy of Blaik-Pipes
COMOY’S EXTRAORDINAIRE 805 1920 Courtesy of Blaik-Pipes
COMOY’S OLD BRUYERE 1919 Courtesy of Blaik-Pipes
COMOY’S OLD BRUYERE A.MARTIN FRIBOURG 47 Courtesy of Blaik-Pipes
- Catalog excerpts, shape charts, and ads, courtesy Doug Valitchka
1909 Catalog
1922 Catalog
Grand Slam Patent
Grand Slam Patent
Old Bruyere
Blue Riband
Grand Slam
Speciality Pipes
Early Catolog Page
1935 Supreme Patent
Fader's Ad featuring a set costing $10K!
- Examples, details, and nomenclature, courtesy Doug Valitchka
Blue Riband
Blue Riband Nomenclature
Blue Riband Nomenclature
Blue Riband Detail
Blue Riband
Blue Riband Nomenclature
Castleton
Castleton detail
Deluxe
Deluxe Nomenclature
Deluxe Gold
Deluxe Gold Detail
Deluxe Gold Detail
Extraordinaire
Extraordinaire Nomenclature
Highgate w/box
Highgate detail
London Pride and original box
London Pride Nomenclature
Mark 2
Mark 2 stinger
Mark 2 Detail
Monogram
Monogram Nomenclature
Grand Slam Patent
Grand Slam Patent Detail
New Grand Slam
New Grand Slam Nomenclature
Old Bruyere
Old Bruyere Nomenclature
Old Bruyere Rare Marking
Another Old Bruyere
Old Bruyere nomenclature
Pebble Grain
Pebble Grain Nomenclature
Rockroot
Rockroot Nomenclature
Sandblast
Sandblast Nomenclature
Designer
Designer Nomenclature
Designer
Designer Nomenclature
Silver Cloud
Silver Cloud Nomenclature
Tigers Eye
Tigers Eye Nomenclature
Tradition
Tradition Nomenclature
Tradition
Tradition Nomenclature
Early Tradition
Early Tradition Nomenclature
Trend
Trend Nomenclature
Vanguard
Vanguard Nomenclature
1920s example w/box
Box
1920s Example
Old Bruyere with H. Sutliff San Francisco (Tobacconist) stamp
Old Bruyere detail
Old Bruyere detail
Another Old Bruyere
Old Bruyere detail
Old Bruyere detail
Selected Straight Grain
Selected Straight Grain detail
Catalog page showing Selected Straight Grain
- Comoy's Air-O-Dry, via Doug Valitchka
- Comoy's 1919 Yale University Class Pipe, with a silver band done by Comoy's to repair a small crack in the shank in 1938, as indicated by their hallmark. For more information see College Class Pipes. Courtesy Brian Robertson collection
Seconds made by Comoy's
- Academy Award
- Ace of spades
- Ancestor
- Astor
- Ayres
- Britannia
- Brompton
- Canadian Club
- Carlyle
- Charles Cross
- Claridge
- Coronet?
- Cromwell
- Damman?
- Dorchester
- Dunbar
- Drury Lane
- Emerson
- Everyman
- Festival of Britain
- Golden Arrow
- Grand Master
- Gresham
- Guildhall
- Hamilton (according to Who Made That Pipe)
- Kingsway
- Lion's Head
- Lord Clive
- Lumberman
- Hyde Park
- Lloyds
- Mc Gahey
- Moorgate
- Newcastle
- Old Mariner?
- Oxford
- O'Gorman
- Rosebery Extra
- Royal Falcon
- Royal Guard
- Royal Lane
- Scotland Yard
- St James
- Sunrise
- Super Sports
- Sussex
- The Academy Award
- The Balmoral
- The Golden Arrow
- The Mansion House
- The Exmoor Pipe
- Treaty Bond
- Throgmorton
- Tinder Box Royal Coachman
- Townhall
- Trident
- Trocadero
- Westminster
- Wilshire
- Second examples, details, and nomenclature, courtesy Doug Valitchka
Academy Award
Academy Award Nomenclature
Academy Award box, sock, and pamphlet
Ace of Spades (Early France)
Ace of Spades detail
Ancestor
Ancestor Detail
Ancestor Detail
Ancestor
Ancestor Detail
Ancestor Detail
Ancestor For Clubb's Los Angeles
Ancester - Clubb's detail
Astor
Astor Detail (Straight Made in London England)
Astor Detail (Straight Made in London England)
Astor Detail (Straight Made in London England)
Astor Bantam
Astor Bantam Detail (Straight Made in London England stamp)
Astor Bantam Detail (Straight Made in London England stamp)
Astor Bantam Detail (Straight Made in London England stamp)
Astor
Astor Detail (Circle Stamp)
Astor Detail (Circle Stamp)
Astor Apple
Astor Apple detail
Astor 309 Billiard
Astor 309 detail
Brompton
Brompton detail
Canadian Club
Canadian Club detail
Canadian Club detail
Carlyle (1930s)
Carlyle detail
Carlyle detail
Carlyle detail
Drury Lane
Drury Lane details
Dunbar
Dunbar details
A new Everyman w/Original Box
Everyman shape 436B
46B Detail
Everyman Shape 56
56 details
Golden Arrow box and sock
Guildhall and original box
Guildhall Nomenclature
Guildhall details
Guildhall with 1980 Hallmark
1980 Details
1980 Details
Guildhall 332B
Guildhall 332B Details
Lumberman
Lumberman Nomenclature
Lumberman Nomenclature
Royal Coachman
Royal Coachman Detail
Royal Falcon
Royal Falcon Nomenclature
Royal Falcon
Royal Falcon Nomenclature
Royal Falcon Nomenclature
Early Comoy's Royal Falcon with circular Made in England stamp. Thin pencil shank pipe. 1930's?
Royal Falcon detail
Royal Falcon detail
Royal Falcon detail
Royal Falcon detail
Royal Falcon detail
Another Royal Falcon
Royal Falcon detail
The Maltese Falcon showing Royal Falcon brand stamp
Royal Lane
Royal Lane Nomenclature
Royal Lane
Royal Lane Nomenclature
Royal Lane Detail
Royal Lane
Royal Lane Detail
Royal Lane Detail
Royal Lane Detail
Comoy's made RUGBY, with Made in France Rugby shaped stamp
Comoy's made RUGBY, with Made in France Rugby shaped stamp
ST James
ST James Nomenclature
Kingsway
Kingsway Nomenclature
Kingsway Stem Insignia
Bearluck, likely Comoy second
Bearluck Detail
Bearluck Detail, looks like an early Comoy "London Made" stamp
Gresham Giant with box and sock
Gresham Giant detail
Gresham, smooth bent billiard Magnum
Gresham Magnum detail
Gresham Magnum detail
Gresham Magnum detail
Gresham Magnum detail
Gresham
Gresham detail
Gresham Box and Sleeve
Kingsway, an early Compy'ssecond
Kingsway Detail
Kingsway Detail
Kingsway Detail
Rosebery Extra (Circa 1920's 30's)
Rosebery Extra Detail
Rosebery Extra Detail
Rosebery Extra
Comoy's factory on Rosebery Ave
Another Rosebery Extra
Rosebery Extra Detail
Rosebery Extra Detail
Rosebery Extra Detail
Rosebery Extra Detail
Super Sports
Super Sports detail
Super Sports detail
Super Sports
Super Sports detail
Town Hall
Town Hall detail
Town Hall box
Trident
Trident details
Trocadero (logo identical to Guildhall and others)
Trocadero Detail
Trocadero Detail
Trocadero Unusual stinger
Trocadero Reinforcement ring
Trocadero Bent
Trocadero Bent Detail
Trocadero Bent Detail
Trocadero Bent Detail
Trocadero Bent Detail
- Syracuse University Comoy Royal Falcon Class Pipe. See College Class Pipes for information. Courtesy Brian Robertson Collection
Syracuse University Student Newspaper Class Pipe Ad
- Townhall (Comoy's second), Shape #25 w/silver ferrule, courtesy Radzievsky Vladimir Zeev
Links
- Comoy's Dating Guide
- Comoy's Shape Number Chart
- A PDF copy of Comoy's Pipe Compendium, courtesy Michael DiCuccio