| 1825 : Well before the
discovery of briarwood the COMOY family manufactured pipes in the small
village of Avignon, near to Saint-Claude, mostly in boxwood for the "Grumblers"
of the Army of Napoleon.
1850 : Birth of Henry
COMOY, founder of the brand. |
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1856 : Discovery of
briarwood and particularly the special treatment it required for the
making of pipes. Saint-Claude becomes the birthplace of briar pipe
manufactures and the world capital of pipe-making.
|
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| 1870 : Henri
COMOY,
prisoner of war in Switzerland meets his cousins the Chapuis and ruminates
the idea of an association.
1879 : Henry COMOY
emigrates to London with some of his technicians from Saint-Claude and
establishes the first English pipe factory in England H. COMOY & C°
LTD. The Saint-Claude factory supplies them with briarwood and pipe
bowls. |
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1922 : After the First
World War the association COMOY and CHAPUIS is realised and the
Saint-Claude factory becomes CHAPUIS COMOY & Cie.
1924 : Death of Henri
COMOY. His sons Paul and Adrien assume the direction of the factories in
Saint-Claude and London assisted by their cousins Emile and Louis Chapuis.
|
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| 1928 : London now able
to produce their own pipes, and in order to develop the Saint-Claude
factory, the brand CHACOM is created, using the first three letters of the
COMOY and CHAPUIS families. Up till 1939 CHACOM was offered only in France,
Belgium and Switzerland in order not to embarrass the COMOY pipes which
had the same shapes and qualities. |
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| 1932 : The world
economic crisis reaches Saint-Claude. To weather this problem Chapuis
Comoy & Cie joins with another company under the name of LA BRUYERE,
forming the biggest pipe concern in the world with 450 workpeople. Big
trucks were needed to transfer the briar blocks from the drying shed to
the factory. |
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1945 : After the Second
World War CHACOM assumes its entire commercial liberty and launches a
complete and modern range of pipes.
1946 : Chacom becomes
the principal brand in France and Belgium.
|
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1947 – 1948 : CHACOM,
number one in Scandinavia, Germany, then United States …
1957 : In face of the
commercial preponderance of the brand CHACOM the company La Bruyère
returns to the name of CHAPUIS COMOY & Cie.
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1964 : Death of Adrien
COMOY. His son Pierre succeeds to him in London. Mr REED is the Chairman
and Managing Director in Saint-Claude.
1965 : First French
brand named pipe in JAPAN
|
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| 1971 : Having recovered
its independence from COMOYS of London, Yves GRENARD, second cousin of
Pierre COMOY, takes over the Direction of Chapuis Comoy & Cie and at
the same time the exclusive sale of H. COMOY & Ltd, in France.
1978 : Pierre
MOREL,
independent free-hand pipe maker, creates for Chacom a line completely
hand made the Chacom Grand Cru. He is the creator of the free-hand shapes
Naja and "Fleur de Bruyère". |
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| 1987 : Pierre MOREL
joins the team Chapuis-Comoy as full-time.
1994 : Chapuis-Comoy
integrates ROPP company.
1996 : First design
pipe : Chacom Volute, realised in collaboration with Claude ROBIN |
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| 1997 : First French
pipe to be exported to Russia and East countries.
1998 : Chacom Volute n°
2 is launched. |
 |
|
1999 : The Pipe Trade
Association signed a contract with the authorities for developing pipe
industries. One of the action is the co-operation with designers who
create the new PASTEL Collection and specially the HEDO and CYCLADE for
Chacom.
|
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| 2001 : Yves GRENARD
designed for Chacom the MILLENIUM, a new line for one thousand years as a
new shape will be designed each year. |
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| 2002 : Introduction of
Chacom in China
2003 : Another design
line by Erwin VAN HANDENHOVEN with black or nacre insert. |
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|
Chacom pipes are sold
in 58 countries. |
