English Estates: Comoy's Tradition Pot (123) (pre-1980) Tobacco Pipe

This "123" Pot from Comoy's is a refined example of the archetypal form with a straightforward design. The compositions sees a squat, broad bowl posed upfront, its figure hosing ample chamber capacity as straight walls rise toward the chamfered rim. Further streamlining the profile is an arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement out back, with the stem showing a gradual taper to the bit. Dressed in a warm, smooth finish, the stummel displays handsome birdseye across both flanks of the bowl and fine cross grain at the fore and aft.

Progressing from boxwood to briar, the history of Comoy's pipe making is characterized by its strong familial ties. The marque's founder, Henri Comoy, took after his father Francois. Francois started fashioning pipes with his brothers in Saint Claude out of more rudimentary materials until he and his son Louis discovered the benefits of briar. In 1879, Henri brought his skills to London, where he would set up a factory and serve as a key figure in English pipe making while working alongside his sons and nephews.