Rarest Comoys Ever Auctioned

[misterlowercase]

I'm lucky to have a Comoy's Blue Riband #409 stamped "Straight Grain", but it doesn't also carry the designation Extraordinaire. But, in my book, it doesn't make it any less extraordinary. Lol.

Right on Kashmir, you're a lucky duck, but you've certainly earned it!
According to Mr. Can, he says that in 45 years of pipe collecting, I have seen only six (6)!, so that says something right there...

IMMACULATE COMOY BLUE RIBAND STRAIGHT GRAIN IN ORIGINAL BOX & SLEEVE--PRISTINE !
I was unaware of the “reinforced at the push” thing, and I have actually seen a few but thought that it was a broken-off innertube ...this snippet is a good bit of info:

This Canadian is fitted with a hand-shaped ENGLISH EBONITE MOUTHPIECE that is “reinforced at the push.”
"Reinforced at the push"? Very few collectors (and hardly any pipe repairmen) recognize this unusual feature. But on their very highest graded pipes, Comoy inserted a small aluminum tube inside the tenon and into the mouthpiece to serve as reinforcement! Most pipesmoker's see this and mistakenly believe that a filter was broken off or cut off with the residue left in the tenon. Rather, this is in identifying feature which to the knowledgeable Comoy collector reflects that the Pipe was TOP-OF-THE-LINE when it was made!!! (EVERY Specimen Straight Grain has this feature and you can always tell whether or not a mouthpiece is original by the presence or absence of this reinforcement! Other Comoys had the same reinforcement when they were the TOP-OF-THE-LINE Pipe on any given day!) it is difficult to photograph because the aluminum is recessed, BUT this BLUE RIBAND has the aluminum insert or as Comoy says, it is "reinforced at the push!" That feature confirms that this BLUE RIBAND was the TOP-OF-THE-LINE Comoy the day it was made - - - a VERY SPECIAL PIPE!

I really like the description that NYHorseman wrote too,

and I know he's a true gentleman as well as a proper pipe enthusiast because I read an old thread on another forum where those traits were displayed in full form, it's a good post and worth citing here, apologies if it strays too far off topic, but I think it's highly interesting...

I am qualified to provide an opinion of the venerated original Balkan Sobranie as it was all I smoked from the age of 15 to 25 when I gave up the pipe. I still have quite a few 4oz. sealed tins that I purchased back in the late 60's.
Since returning to the pipe this year I have started to smoke my old stash which was kept in my cool cellar all these years. Upon my return and having access to the internet, I was astounded that Balkan Sobranie was no longer available and even more shocked to see what some people are paying on Ebay for the old mixture.
I call it Sobranie Insaniety. Why? Because it remains a very nice smoke although the latakia has mellowed through the ages and plays more of a subservient role than it did in it's younger years and I was sure there must be SOMETHING made today which was it's equal (meaning similar) without having to break the bank.
With plenty of old stock on hand for comparison I set out to sample the newer balkan blends currently available and see if I could find a blend which was the closest to the famous Sobranie.
I love my old briars which are my fave, but for testing purposes I keep on hand 2 very cleaned meerschaums as I appreciate their neutrality when smoking a new mixture for the first time...and I fill one with the original Sobranie and the other with it's "competitor" and smoke both at the same time, going back and forth between the two for impressions and comparison.
For this experiment I've tried 3 Oaks Syrian, Pirate Kake, Abingdon, British Woods, Squadron Leader, Odyssey, Penzance, Commonwealth, Old Ironsides, Charing Cross, Black Mallory, Omega, Mountain Camp, Super Balkan, Northwoods, Margate, Artisan's, Samovar, Balkan Sasieni, Black House, Legends and the new G.F. Germain reissue of "Balkan Sobranie".
I have about 12 other types in my cellar but I felt this was a fair sampling and even though I found a winner among these, if something else comes closer I will update it in this thread.
Before I disclose my winner, let me state the obvious. I am fully aware that none of the blenders (with the possible exception of the G.F. Germain reissue) set about to create a Balkan Sobranie clone, rather seeking to create something new and wonderful for us all to savor and appreciate. I am sure some give an appreciative nod to the vintage blends of old, but these are new times, new leaf, new recipes and new ideas which I personally find very exciting.
I found, as expected, some of the blends to be as far apart from the original Balkan Sobranie as JackKnife is to Mac Baren's Vanilla Chocolate. Some smelled like the old girl but didn't taste like it. Some were very close. And then I lifted a tin top and hit it!...
It was like taking a trip in a time capsule. The smell of the mixture brought back memories as strong as the perfume Moment Supreme does of my late mother. That's what taste and smells can do...bring you back to a moment in time. Here was truly the Balkan Sobranie taste I remembered in my teens and early twenties. The incredible complexity, subtle interplay of the latakia and virginia tobaccos with the orientals orchestrating the whole mixture into one memorable experience.
Switching back and forth on my meerschaums between the original and this new blend there was no comparison. The newcomer had clearly defeated the old champion. The champion is still wonderful in it's own way but has become somewhat tired over the years just as I have.
Yes you can end Sobranie Insaniety right now, and stop longing for the old stuff or wishing you had been around when it was readily available. All you have to do is pick up a tin of Charing Cross. You have my assurance that you will enjoy the experience of the old Balkan Sobranie with no regrets.
Not convinced? I have an offer to make. The first 10 forum members who send me a PM will receive from me a generous pipe full of the original Balkan Sobranie from 1968. All you have to do is pick up a can of Charing Cross (No I do not work for or even know Greg Pease and I'm sure the sale of 10 more cans of CC won't convince him of early retirement) and give it a test for yourself.
********UPDATE... ALL 10 OFFERS FILLED... ENJOY YOUR SAMPLES AND PLEASE POST YOUR REVIEWS TO THIS THREAD*********SORRY TO THE OTHERS!
What I do ask in return is that after your receive your Sobranie and make the comparison, you post your opinions and reviews as an addendum to this thread. I must limit this to 10 offers as I do want to keep some of the old stash for old time sake. Please no begging, crying, opening of checkbooks or any other symptoms of Sobranie Insaniety if you are not one of the first 10.
I'm interested in seeing 10 different views and opinions of the newcomer's challenge to the old sage. I'm sure all will be different. Interesting that!!
My small way of paying back and saying thanks for the unbelievable learning experience I have received since joining the forum.
Have fun. Take the test. Let me know what you think. Peace.
Best Regards, Rudy

&

We always want what we can't have. Always was, always will be.
I'm hoping my offer will convince at least 10 people of this fact. There are so many great tobaccos available today that are immeasurably more enjoyable than an old tin of Balkan Sobranie. Emphasis on the word "old".
Since coming back to the pipe and with the aid of the internet I have just been amazed at what people are paying for old Sobranie, waxing rhapsodic about how there will never be anything as great.
Yes I fully agree that it WAS an amazing tobacco and one of the all time greats.
All I'm saying is let's enjoy what is available to us right now. In the 60's we never had such a selection. With people like Greg Pease and the like around, we are truly in a golden era of tobacco blending.

 

[kashmir]

Thanks misterlowercase for posting this.
Mr. Can and NYHorseman are real assets to our pipe smoking community. Quite often I find myself copying Mr. Can's blurbs on his eBay Comoy sales, and printing them out for the large binder I keep on brand Comoy on the top shelf of my pipe library. He has a unique set of experiences and sustains us Comoy enthusiasts. As NYHoreseman, that quote you posted on Sobranie was very revealing. I have long smoked GLP's Charing Cross, and thought to myself what an excellent smoke it is. How interesting it rated so close to the old Sobranie. I certainly will be cellaring mote of this.

 

[foggymountain]

Splendid pipes. I am certainly tempted, but will resist. Regarding the original Balkan Sobranie, it was my everyday smoke from 1957 until the late 90s, I think. I have never found anything even close to as good. Why? Don't know. What was remarkable was that their cigarettes (white paper) were also by far the best I have ever tried. In a class by themselves.

 

[kcghost]

There have been three offers for these pipes. One of them is still pending an answer.

 

[ejames]

This Canadian is fitted with a hand-shaped ENGLISH EBONITE MOUTHPIECE that is “reinforced at the push.”
"Reinforced at the push"? Very few collectors (and hardly any pipe repairmen) recognize this unusual feature. But on their very highest graded pipes, Comoy inserted a small aluminum tube inside the tenon and into the mouthpiece to serve as reinforcement! Most pipesmoker's see this and mistakenly believe that a filter was broken off or cut off with the residue left in the tenon.

I was one of those that mistakenly thought that there was a broken "inner tube" in a Comoy stem and even emailed the owner to see if he wanted it removed.Luckily he didn't. After seeing a few more Comoy pipes with reinforcing tubes I figured out what it was.

 

[kashmir]

I've noticed the "reinforced at the push" stems on my Blue Ribands, London Prides, Specimen Straight Grains, and I even have one Selected Straight Grain with one, but others in this last line without. Presuming they all have their original bits. The funny thing is that the tenon is less likely to break than the end of the shank. Make more sense to reinforce the shank with a steel insert rather than one inside the bit. And, in fact, I have a Comoy's Tradition with just such a reinforced shank. There appears to be a steel cylinder inserted into the shank to catch the tenon. But I don't know if it was factory installed or a later replacement. I suspect the latter.

 

[ssjones]

Those are two amazing pieces. I've not yet encountered that combination of nomenclature stamping.

I bought a pristine James Upshall from that vendor earlier this year, he is a fine gentleman by my experience.

 

[ssjones]

One of my friends who collects Blue Ribands says that price is way out of line, but who knows. Perhaps they will end up in China? I ran across this documentary recently that highlights Chinese wine collectors. The DVD art shows a gentleman examining wine and smoking a pipe. For folks spending $100k on a bottle of wine, a $1k pipe is a snack.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2419284/

 

[kashmir]

Al, I don't know about these being overpriced. After a number of years following Comoy sales on the net, I've come to have a modicum of appreciation of their market value. Although rarely offered, when found, Comoy's Blue Ribands stamped "Straight Grain" usually go for $450 to $650, based on recent sales (BIN and auctions) by Mr. Can and others. So, NYHorseman's asking $975 for the additional "Extraordinaire" stamping seems about right. Perhaps a smidgen high. Comoy's Blue Ribands with fine graining and in a 4/5 condition routinely sell of $250 to $350+ on eBay and online retail houses. Specimen Straight Grains, while much rarer, sell in the $350 to $500+ range (barring those auctions that get outta hand). So, I'd say these two pipes are priced about right, give or take a hundred and change.

 

[kashmir]

On second thought, about $200 over their monetary worth. About $875 per pipe. Somewhere in that range.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I have heard a rumour from a semi-reliable source that these pipes have found a home north of the 49th parallel.

 

[flmason]

The auction has ended. Final price $1,600.
Peck, I never really learned geography while in school. If you are describing your location in Canada, then I congratulate you on your two excellent pipes. A great early Christmas present.
If you are not the new owner, then hopefully whoever is appreciates these pipes.

 

[captainsousie]

Yep, he means Canada so presumably...congrats Peck. I hope they're fantastic smokers for you. One of my Comoy's pipes has a really well made lucite "smoking stem" and I seem to remember you prefer lucite to vulcanite. I'll try again to find out who made the stem and get you the info If I can. No luck last time so no promises but I'll try.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Thanks guys. These will be my first Comoys. Did I overpay? Maybe, but that is in the past now, lol. I have been having some behind the scenes discussions with Kashmir on these pipes over the last couple of days and I want to thank him for sharing his thoughts with me.
Now I need to look for Comoy #3.

 

[captainsousie]

I have been researching Comoy's pipes for a bit over a year now and, in my only slightly educated opinion, you got a good deal on those pipes.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Well, not sure I got a deal. If there was a deal to be had, I would assume all the various Comoy collectors far and wide would have been all over this. But I am still satisfied with the pickup. I do want to thank Al also for making me especially nervous during this auction, lol.

 

[kashmir]

Peck -
A very hearty and warm congratulations from my end. I think you did well. Look at it this way: One pays $850 for a JT Cooke pipe. Why not an equivalent sum for a vintage pipe, no longer made, thus from a finite stock of available pieces, and, to boot, comprising one in ten thousand strummels that could make the grade, from one of London's first houses of pipe production.
Clearly, a special item.
If you ever want to part with one, you know my number.
Cheers, and happy puffin'.

 

[escioe]

Peck: you might need to look around at some Comoy Sandblasts to fill out a Comoy collection, if you choose to start one, to bring down the average cost per pipe. Easier to hide out that way, too.
Enjoy the smokes. They're gorgeous. No one cut a pipe like Comoy did back in the day.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

One of my Comoy's pipes has a really well made lucite "smoking stem" and I seem to remember you prefer lucite to vulcanite. I'll try again to find out who made the stem and get you the info If I can. No luck last time so no promises but I'll try.

Many thanks Captain. Yeah, the one thing that scares me about Comoys is the stems.

 

[pruss]

Congrats Peck!
I can't wait to hear your report on how they smoke. That Canadian is lovely.
-- Pat