Pipes from Comoy of London
The Comoy pipe is historically significant. François Comoy in Saint Claude, France originally founded the company in the early 1820's, as a manufacturer of clay pipes. In 1848, either François or his son, Louis, made the first Bruyére pipe from the root burl of the indigenous White Heath, Erica arborea, known today as briar. Henri Comoy, son of Louis, established Comoy's of London in 1879 where most Comoy pipes have been made since. Sometime in the 1980s, Comoy was bought or absorbed into Cadogan Industries, who continue to make the Comoy pipe today.
There is much more to be added to this page, with more pipes and some additional information about dating and provenance of various models...
Derek Green has done an amazing job of picking up the torch and running with it, as far as dating and other historical aspects of the Comoy pipe is concerned. His website is an excellent resource, and anyone interested in Comoy pipes would be well advised to have a look.
In the background can be seen a magnum sized Comoy Sandblast Extraordinaire, shape #804 - truly a remarkable pipe. In front of it is a standard sized Tradition in the author shape, #256.
Sandblast #342, a dead ringer for a Dunhill LB shape. The blast on this example is quite lovely. Stamped in a circle, “Made in England” with block lettered COMOY'S, putting this pipe's manufacture in the late 1940s or early 1950s as near as I can tell.
A pair of very old Bulldog variants. The upper piece is a Royal Comoy's, Pat. Pending, shape #430. The flat bottom is quite interesting. The foreground pipe is a Comoy's Virgin Briar, shape #386, sporting a nicely cut hexagonal bowl.
Bent and straight rhodesians. The upper pipe is an old Extraordinaire, shape #499, while the foreground pipe is a 60s era Tradition in shape #440.