4th Generation Pipes Debut, Comoys Come Back

Kevin Godbee

During the Chicago Pipe Show last weekend, renowned tobacco blender Erik Stokkebye debuted some exciting new pipes. He was there representing Phillips & King International, which distributes several pipe and tobacco lines, including Erik’s own 4th Generation Tobaccos.

Building on the 4th Generation brand, there will now be an accompanying line of 4th Generation Pipes. The pipes are made in Denmark and developed by Erik and an undisclosed pipe maker. There are 4 shapes available; 1855, 1897, 1931 and 1957 –as with the tobacco each shape is based on the birth year of the four generations.

There are 3 finishes; one black rustic, one smooth reddish/brown and one natural finish. The briar is aged Italian briar and the stems are made of acrylic. The retail prices ranges from $175 to $220 depending on the finish.

The 4th Generation pipes are stamped with the birth year of the particular Stokkebye generation they represent and have an attractive bronze band engraved with the 4th Generation logo. Each pipe comes in an Italian leather bag and a box. They will be available in July-August.

 

Phillips & King International also happens to own the trademark for Comoy Pipes in the US, and they will be bringing back the brand. They will be made in France at the Chacom factory, which has a connection with the old Comoy’s company and family.

 

The Chacom-Comoy Connection

The Comoy family started making briar pipes in Saint-Claude, France in 1856. In 1870, Henri Comoy decided to include his cousins (or nephews, depending on which article you read), the Chapuis in the business. While the company grew, London became a big market for pipes, and Comoy moved there.

Starting in 1879, Comoy started making pipes in London as their primary production, but still made some in France under different brand names, but not Comoy. In 1922, the Saint-Claude factory was renamed Chapuis Comoy & Cie. In 1928, the Saint-Claude factory developed the brand Chacom using the first three letters of the two family names: CHA from Chapuis and COM from Comoy. In 1945, Chacom and Comoy split into two separate companies.

From 1965 through the 1990s, the Comoy company, trademarks and brands had different ownerships. No Comoy pipes have been produced since the early 2000s.

 

The new Comoy Pipes will come in six shapes and three finishes. They are expected to retail from $95 to $135. The new Comoy Pipes will be available in late-summer, early-fall. There will be more information on the Comoy line in a few weeks.




4 Responses

  • As a Comoy collector, I am happy to see the resurrection of the Comoy brand. If they stick to their classic shape charts, which it seems like in the two examples presented above, I can only wish them well. Any thought to reintroducing the three part C stem inlay? Or the old lines (Tradition, Grand Slam, Selected Straight Grain, Blue Ribands, etc.)?

  • There is going to be a Blue Riband, but we don’t have all of the info yet. We expect to have an update with more detailed info in the coming month or so.

  • Kevin, I am trying to get some info on the old (pre-2000) Comoy lines, such as Royal guard, tradition, royal Comoy, and where they were in the pricing hierchy. Do you know where information is available?? Herb Roffman

  • Herb, I have some documentation with a little bit on the history and how to date the pipes. However, I’m afraid I do not have documentation on the pricing hierarchy.

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