La Bruyere Pipes

The historic Chapuis-Comoy & Cie. is still in production in Saint-Claude, France, creating handcrafted briar pipes that are revered for their premium wood selection, precise finishing, and dedication to classic shape traditions.

Artisan Thomas Manzoni came to Chapuis-Comoy & Cie. by chance and ultimately fell in love with the craft and the pipe itself, inspired by working in Saint-Claude, which breathes pipe making. He has worked at the company for 15 years, taking charge of pipe assembly, from classic models to more complex designs, such as spigots and army mounts, for many brands. He started making complete pipes in 2025, now fully devoting himself to pipe making.

Thomas was first trained by pipe craftsman Pierre Morel and then artisan Bruno Nuttens. He takes pride in creating pipes that prioritize functionality over aesthetics. His pipe-making style is contemporary classic, with influences from Morel, Eltang, factory-made Dunhill pipes, and the Saint-Claude pipe-making tradition. He utilizes briar, morta (bog oak), olivewood, horn, acrylic, Cumberland, and ebonite in his pipe making.

The grading system of La Bruyère pipes is based on the wood quality and size of the pipe, graded by Antoine Grenard. Every pipe is marked with the year of production inside a hexagon.

Outside of pipe making, Thomas is quite private and discreet, but he does a lot of cooking, plays a bit of music on the guitar, and enjoys nature in the Jura region. As for his tobaccos of choice, he smokes mostly English blends, Balkans, and Virginias.