List of products by brand Jeantet

The Jeantet factory in Saint-Claude has a long and prestigious history dating back to 1775. Founded by the Jeantet family, the company initially operated as a turning shop specializing in the production of wooden shanks for porcelain pipes and wild cherry wood pipes. In 1816, the business was renamed Jeantet-David, and by 1837, it had evolved into a collective enterprise encompassing numerous workshops spread throughout the city.

Pipe production in briar began in 1858, with 51 employees already on board by 1890. To streamline operations, the company began constructing a new factory around 1891 at Rue de Bonneville 12-14. This project took several years to complete. In 1898, Maurice Jeantet restructured the business and expanded the factory by acquiring an adjoining workshop known for rough shaping stems and polishing finished pipes.

Jeantet was converted into a limited liability company in 1938, and by the late 1940s, it also operated a branch workshop in Montréal-la-Cluse (Ain), focusing on more affordable pipes. By 1950, the Saint-Claude factory was significantly modernized with the installation of freight elevators and other structural improvements. By 1958, the company employed 80 workers and occupied 2831 m².

In the 1960s, Jeantet reached the peak of its production, crafting thirty to thirty-five thousand dozen pipes with 72 workers. However, production gradually declined to only six or seven thousand dozen by 1987, with just 22 workers remaining. In 1979, a modern steam-powered facility for drying briar was installed.

In 1971, Yves Grenard, former chief designer at Jeantet and a cousin of Pierre Comoy, took over the management of Chapuis-Comoy. To preserve the Jeantet brand, the Jeantet family negotiated with Grenard, resulting in Jeantet merging into the Cuty Fort Group, led by Chacom, in 1988. The Jeantet factory was closed, and in 1989, it was purchased by the city of Saint-Claude, which later designated the buildings for demolition.

Today, Jeantet pipes are produced as a sub-brand by Chapuis-Comoy, with Chacom remaining the primary brand.