Comoy Extraordinaire 498

[zulucollector]

Comoy's large, chubby, straight Rhodesian has not been an easy pipe to add to my collection. I've looked for one for years. Those collectors who have them seem enthusiastic about keeping them in their collections. The same has been true for the bent version, shape no. 499.

You can imagine my surprise–shock, really–when a friend of mine presented this pipe to me as a gift when I visited him several weeks ago. It endows the pipe with very special meaning, indeed.
This pipe was smoked often by its previous owner(s). I started smoking it about two or three minutes after it found its way into my possession. As is the case with many of these older British-made pipes, it is a flavorful and effortless smoker.
As we all know, chubby Rhodesians are very popular, regardless of maker. The shape was made by GBD, too. I've never seen one with a BBB stamp, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had their version, as well. I don't believe that the shape was ever made by Barling or by Dunhill, but one might be out there somewhere.
How many of you own this shape or one similar? I would love to see photos of yours if you care to share them.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I don't but would love to have one. I have bid on a few 499s only to lose them. Fed up, I recently commissioned Michael Parks to make me a two pipe set (one smooth and one blasted) using a Comoy 499 as a reference. Those should be ready by the end of August. Still, I remain on the hunt for a real 499.

 

[lochinvar]

I just recently picked up a blasted Royal Oak Briars in the same shape, mostly because I have given up on finding an original example.
There needs to be a campaign to convince pipe smokers the Rhodesian shape is NOT cool. I really don't need the competition

 

[misterlowercase]

Zulu - that's an extraordinary Extraordinaire!
And a great story about how it found you.
Those things are scarce ain't they?

And hotly contested when up for grabs!
lochinvar - is this the Royal Oak you picked up?

Yowza!

:!:

I don't have anything remotely close to this shape.
I know Al has one, hopefully he'll post a pic.
Since Kashmir hasn't been around much, here's his that he got from SPC:

+

Captainsousie also has one, a very finely grained Royal which he found for $27 8O

Peterson also made one...

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/pre-republic-peterson-rhodesian-thanks-captainsousie
I love these old timey shapes and wonder how they could have fallen out of favor after being so popular in the first half of 20C?

Well, they certainly are popular again.
In my mind I kinda link them to a "sports pipe" heritage as they seem to fit the bill,

and I would guess the shape origins to be from France?

 

[misterlowercase]

I also like Ponomarchuk's extreme take on the shape,

I'd love to have one of these...

 

[voorhees]

I have a french made SINA. It's from the Cadogen era. Probably a second.

 

[ssjones]

That really is a wonderful shape, what a gift! I do have a 498 Extraordinaire. It's bit worn, but a wonderful smoker and companion. Neills example is marvelous, that button almost looks new!

And it's companion, a 499 Extraordinaire. This one has stamping from the 1930's, the 498 is a slightly newer vintage (late 40's - early 50's?)

I never grow tired of looking and marveling at those 3 piece "C" stem logos.

 

[zulucollector]

It's great to see so many examples (and several different brands) of this shape. Wow...there are some nice pipes on this thread.
I have a couple of 499s in my collection: one an early example and one that dates from the 60s. Interesting in that the shape's dimensions changed. The shape was adapted to a longer version. Personally, I like the shorter version in that it seems to exaggerate the chub factor.

I also like Ponamarchuk's take on the Rhodesian. Here is the one in my collection:

 

[misterlowercase]

...so beautiful it deserves a double take!

 

[ssjones]

Neill, thanks for posting to this new section of the forum.
That duo shot with the different versions of the 499 is amazing and interesting as to how the shape evolved. I too like the more compact version.

 

[lochinvar]

That is the very one. It's a great smoker and killer blast. But I still want one withe white C on it.

 

[antbauers]

Wow those are some great looking pipes.

 

[ssjones]

At Richmond last weekend, Andy, aka docwatson said he sold a sandblast 499. Andy wasn't at his table when I went thru and I missed that one!

 

[Alfred Of The Dunhills]

I just purchased a Comoy Vintage (499) to replace the just broken stem at the lip area doing something beyond stupid on a new Chacom Royale Vintage 283. Algerian Briar, Vulcanite Stem made in my birth year 1952. Heart Broken, one of my best smokers ever! It was not expensive $130.00 US but it was a fav non the less. Anybody out there have experience with the current production Comoy Vintage 499 ? Please!

 

[ssjones]

I just purchased a Comoy Vintage (499) to replace the just broken stem at the lip area doing something beyond stupid on a new Chacom Royale Vintage 283. Algerian Briar, Vulcanite Stem made in my birth year 1952. Heart Broken, one of my best smokers ever! It was not expensive $130.00 US but it was a fav non the less. Anybody out there have experience with the current production Comoy Vintage 499 ? Please!

Alfred is going to start a new thread on is purchase. I'm closing this old thread.