Comoys - Transplant a C drilled Stem Logo

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ssjones

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Staff member
May 11, 2011
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I'm curious if anyone has successfully or unsuccessfully transplanted a C stem logo on a Comoy's pipe?

I was watching and actually bid unsuccesfully on this pre-WWII era Shape 234. The C is MIA or most of it


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didimauw

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Jul 28, 2013
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Burlington WI

ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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Making a new one isn’t all that hard if you’re equipped to do it. It’s a pretty simple job.
I've only seen a handful in the past 10 years, none of them looked to be the factory size.
I just read your Kaywoodie stem repair/logo transplant. That was pretty close to what I was envisioning. Wish I had read that post a few days ago, I would have bid with more confidence.
 
Jun 9, 2015
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Mission, Ks
I've only seen a handful in the past 10 years, none of them looked to be the factory size.
I just read your Kaywoodie stem repair/logo transplant. That was pretty close to what I was envisioning. Wish I had read that post a few days ago, I would have bid with more confidence.
I thought of bidding on this one but didn’t in the end. If I had won it I would have just turned a new C for it and notched it.
 
May 8, 2017
1,618
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Sugar Grove, IL, USA
The thing is, it’s not one piece. First, a piece of white rod is inserted, making the dot forming the C. Next, a smaller hole is drilled in the center of that white dot and a back rod is inserted, forming a circle. Finally, another hole is drilled which intersects the right side of the circle, forming the C. Finally, a piece of black rod is used to fill in that hole.

On a related topic, I have a Kaywoodie meerschaum bulldog which has lost its clover insignia which I’d like to replace.
 

bayareabriar

Part of the Furniture Now
May 8, 2019
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1,559
I've only seen a handful in the past 10 years, none of them looked to be the factory size.
I just read your Kaywoodie stem repair/logo transplant. That was pretty close to what I was envisioning. Wish I had read that post a few days ago, I would have bid with more confidence.
Factory size? What sizes do you typically see in the variances? Do you have any examples of correct and incorrect?
 
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ssjones

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May 11, 2011
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Factory size? What sizes do you typically see in the variances? Do you have any examples of correct and incorrect?
Well, the factory drilled C is always uniform in size, to my knowledge. I never thought to measure it.

It's been said here (on a thread from 2014), that Walker can make a new Comoys stem logo, but I've never seen pictures of one.

Adam Davidson made a replacement C stem logo for one of Neill Archer Roans pipes, and Neill documented it in his blog. Unfortunately that blog is now history. From memory, the logo looked good, but was significantly larger.

I'd love to see pictures of a replacement C, if anyone has them.
 

simong

Lifer
Oct 13, 2015
2,664
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UK
Making a new one isn’t all that hard if you’re equipped to do it. It’s a pretty simple job.
How many have you done?
I've never seen a replacement that 'cuts the mustard' as they say. If it's as simple a job as you say, I'm surprised I haven't seen any. Please post photos of yours! 👍
 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,570
14,462
How many have you done?
I've never seen a replacement that 'cuts the mustard' as they say. If it's as simple a job as you say, I'm surprised I haven't seen any. Please post photos of yours! 👍


It's a mistake to assume the word "simple" means easy to execute with precision.

A heart transplant is simple---cut one out, stuff another one in after sewing its tubey things to their matching tubey things, and whip stitch the body back together... right?

When it comes to the Comoy's 3-piece trademark, there's something in play that makes replicating it a proper pig bitch: The human eye is astonishingly sensitive to concentricity. It's why military rifles have peep sights... no training is necessary to align them. Everyone does it instinctively. It hurts to make your brain do otherwise.

Meaning the center of the Comoy's "C" must be aligned within a ten-thousandth of an inch. No leeway, no exceptions.

And the parts are teeny. The size of something an ant could carry away.

It's more like watchmaking than pipe repair.

And if you can't manage it, the buzzer goes off and a hook comes out to drag you offstage, because there are no second chances---drilling out a screwed up attempt requires same level of precision that you just demonstrated you can't manage. (i.e. If you don't drill it out for try #2 dead-on, you'll create an egg-shaped hole with a thin white line on one side.)
 

ssjones

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Staff member
May 11, 2011
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It's a mistake to assume the word "simple" means easy to execute with precision.

A heart transplant is simple---cut one out, stuff another one in after sewing its tubey things to their matching tubey things, and whip stitch the body back together... right?

When it comes to the Comoy's 3-piece trademark, there's something in play that makes replicating it a proper pig bitch: The human eye is astonishingly sensitive to concentricity. It's why military rifles have peep sights... no training is necessary to align them. Everyone does it instinctively. It hurts to make your brain do otherwise.

Meaning the center of the Comoy's "C" must be aligned within a ten-thousandth of an inch. No leeway, no exceptions.

And the parts are teeny. The size of something an ant could carry away.

It's more like watchmaking than pipe repair.

And if you can't manage it, the buzzer goes off and a hook comes out to drag you offstage, because there are no second chances---drilling out a screwed up attempt requires same level of precision that you just demonstrated you can't manage. (i.e. If you don't drill it out for try #2 dead-on, you'll create an egg-shaped hole with a thin white line on one side.)
Have you ever attempted this George? I'm guessing if anyone can pull it off, it's you or Rusty. The diameter of that 3rd rod, the one that turns the O into a C has to be miniscule.

And for the rest of the group,don't forget, there's zero photo evidence or documentation that Comoys actually did it that way, with three drills/rods.
 
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georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,570
14,462
Have you ever attempted this George? I'm guessing if anyone can pull it off, it's you or Rusty. The diameter of that 3rd rod, the one that turns the O into a C has to be miniscule.

And for the rest of the group,don't forget, there's zero photo evidence or documentation that Comoys actually did it that way, with three drills/rods.

Comoy's had access to---or maybe had made for them---"bullseye" rod, meaning white with a black center.

With that, making the 3-part C was no more difficult than any other two dot trademark. After the bullseye was in place the black dot needed to "open" the C wasn't precision sensitive. Close was good enough.

There is no bullseye rod available today, though. Replicating it is the problem. Doing that takes Rustie-level skillz and toolz.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,022
26,087
Florida - Space Coast
It's a mistake to assume the word "simple" means easy to execute with precision.

A heart transplant is simple---cut one out, stuff another one in after sewing its tubey things to their matching tubey things, and whip stitch the body back together... right?

When it comes to the Comoy's 3-piece trademark, there's something in play that makes replicating it a proper pig bitch: The human eye is astonishingly sensitive to concentricity. It's why military rifles have peep sights... no training is necessary to align them. Everyone does it instinctively. It hurts to make your brain do otherwise.

Meaning the center of the Comoy's "C" must be aligned within a ten-thousandth of an inch. No leeway, no exceptions.

And the parts are teeny. The size of something an ant could carry away.

It's more like watchmaking than pipe repair.

And if you can't manage it, the buzzer goes off and a hook comes out to drag you offstage, because there are no second chances---drilling out a screwed up attempt requires same level of precision that you just demonstrated you can't manage. (i.e. If you don't drill it out for try #2 dead-on, you'll create an egg-shaped hole with a thin white line on one side.)
We alll know that "Simple" was just the Rust-man's flex as the kids would say, well deserved, but still a flex.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,022
26,087
Florida - Space Coast
Ok, instead of just posting a picture of one I did and letting everyone pick it apart. Let’s try another exercise, you tell me which C or C’s I did. The closeups are not in the same order as the pipe pics.
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Honestly I'm guessing that the Cs that are funky and at bad angles are the original Cs and the ones that look perfect are the one's Captain Stem-man did.
 

bayareabriar

Part of the Furniture Now
May 8, 2019
955
1,559
It’s so interesting. So initially I was focusing on the second black dot size, but noticed 2 are larger than the others and not just 1 is different. Even the layout of the third dot/second black dot varies.