Note: This is part of a weekly series about unusual buildings around Hudson County. Ever see a strange-looking structure and wonder what it was? From West New York to Secaucus to Bayonne, you’ll soon find out!
Once upon a time, two German-born brothers wanted to open up a smoking-pipe factory in New Jersey. Their product became so successful that they eventually employed 500 people in West New York.
In 1851, the Kaufman brothers, who already owned a small pipe shop in the Bowery section of New York City, started the Kaufman Bros. & Bondy Company (KBB) to manufacture wooden pipes.
When they took a trip to California, selling pipes along the way, word spread quickly about the quality of their product.
By the late 1800s, the company opened branches around the United States, from San Francisco to St. Louis, with family and friends acting as agents.
With their popularity increasing and orders pouring in, the Kaufman brothers expanded their operations in 1915 by first moving their manufacturing facilities to Union Hill (now Union City). The sales offices remained in New York. As the demand for KBB pipes continued to flourish, the company once again moved the location of their corporate office and manufacturing plant – this time to West New York.
Manufacturing operations moved into 6400 Broadway in West New York in 1935, and remained there until 1972.
Noted as the largest pipe factory in the world, the West New York operation employed over 500 people and produced up to 10,000 pipes a day at the height of their production.
Special pipe
The Kaywoodie pipe, introduced in 1919, came with a rubber mouthpiece fitted with an aluminum Inbore tube to assure a “clean, cool smoke.”
The name Kaywoodie was derived from combining the K from Kaufman and the “wood” that the pipes were made out of (in this case, it was briar).
After 1931, the Drinkless Kaywoodie came with a synchro-stem, which was a threaded screw-in mouthpiece.
“The drinkless attachment was advertised as cooling the smoke from 850 degrees in the bowl to 82 degrees when it entered the mouth,” states the on-line history of S.M. Frank & Co. Inc.
By 1938, the Kaywoodie Company, officially established in 1936, had gone international and opened an office in London. The U.S. corporate office moved to the International Building in Rockefeller Center.
Kaywoodie also introduced their Yello-Bole pipe line in 1932, which was originally manufactured by The New England Briar Pipe Company and was produced at the West New York plant.
Afterwards, the Kaywoodie name started to be used on an extensive line of pipes and ultimately became the name of the company. KBB also manufactured other pipes such as the Ambassador and Melrose.
KBB also manufactured the Dinwoodie pipe that was discontinued by 1924.
Some brands still being produced
In March of 1955, S.M. Frank & Co., Inc., who had become a strong competing pipe manufacturer, purchased the Kaywoodie Company and Kaufman Bros. & Bondy, as well as Reiss-Premier Corp and The New England Briar Pipe Co. All of those companies by that time were under Kaywoodie.
All operations remained in the West New York facility, but the corporate offices were moved to S.M. Frank’s New York office during the 1960s.
S.M. Frank sold the Kaywoodie London office in the early 1970s along with the trademark for Kaywoodie in England to Comoy’s, who remained owners with the London company and continue to produce several styles of London-made Kaywoodies.
By 1972, the West New York operation was completely closed and moved to Richmond Hill in New York. The S.M. Frank & Co. moved one final time in the 1980s, and remains at its Peekskill, N.Y. operation.
In 1997, the company released the “Gold Series” of Kaywoodie Pipes, which was their first new release in over a decade.
Building’s days numbered
Today, the building at 6400 Broadway still stands, although its façade has worn with age. It currently home to several business including Hayk, Inc., which has served the tailoring needs of West New York for over 20 years in that location.
However, Hayk and other businesses in that building will soon be relocated.
The building has been sold and is scheduled for demolition.