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I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity of attending the Chacom factory in St Claude, France. We arrived in Geneva to meet with fellow travellers before heading off for 90 minute drive to St Claude.
Our first stop was the diamond and pipe museum where we watched a video regarding the history of diamond and pipe making. It was very interesting to watch the briar being dug up that will one day be used for a beautifully crafted pipe. The briar is left in a curing barn for a minimum of 2 years before being able to be used. Within the museum they hold a monthly pipe club, the members of this club wear robes and also have a pipe carved in the shape of their face, so beautiful and such intricate pieces.
Following the visit to the museum we were introduced to some local wine and cuisine.
The following day we attended the Chacom pipe factory itself, a modern factory nestled in the hills with outstanding views surrounding it! We entered via the shop which immediately showed the differences between France and the UK as there were numerous pipe related gifts for children including T-Shirts, Pipe pens and pencils and even a blow your own bubbles through a pipe! Such items would be frowned upon in the UK!
We entered the factory and Antoine showed us every section of the process, the block of briar to be used as a pipe all the way to the finished varnished product! I was even able to sand my own pipe and to also shape my own pipe before being allowed to stamp it as a product of Chacom! I was very impressed with my own skills and obviously have the gift for pipe shaping. HA HA!
Following lunch we were taken to the old Chacom factory which only closed down 18 months prior but it felt like it had been derelict for 100 years !!! The amount of stock still within the walls of the disused factory was beyond comprehension, 6 floors full of history that I could have spent weeks looking around.
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The trip has given me a better insight in to the process of pipe making, it is a very precise manufacturing process with no room for error and the staff are trained highly to be able to bring the customer a wonderfully constructed pipe.
A very educating and worth while trip, and the wine and food were not too bad either :)
Writer: Sara Mckinnon
