Wll worth reading, and there are some very interesting tips about learning the techniques in bow-making. These technique learning tips can be applied in general to almost anything.
Trevor
Thanks Trevor, I don't play, obviously, but Old World craftsmanship like this is mindboggling and fascinating.. The apprentices spend 18 months studying before they make their first bow!
For non-fiddlers who may not be aware of the situation, pernambuco wood from Brazil is considered by most people to be by far the best material for making violin bows. The point the article makes about the Brazilian authorities trying to stop the export of pernambuco wood (presumably because the tree is an endangered species) has serious implications for the fiddle world, not least of which is that the price of pernambuco bows can only keep on rising.
Another point, which wasn't mentioned in the article, is that there is a high rejection rate in the making of bows. The nature of the material and the final product are such that it is quite difficult for most bow makers to predict the quality of the bow until it has actually been made. Perhaps one of the reasons for the lengthy and intensive training provided by the master bow-maker in Utah is to try to ensure that his pupils end up with a level of skill that will minimise rejects.
Other woods are sometimes used for violin bows, snakewood being one, but carbon-fibre bows are now coming into common use, especially in the lower and middle ranges of the market. Carbon fibre is a material that can be designed and engineered to have exactly the properties required for a fiddle bow, and in a highly reproducible form, thus greatly reducing wastage in production. Carbon fibre bows have been discussed several times on this website, and at the top end of the CF range it is now possible to buy a bow suitable for professional use at a mere fraction of the price of an equivalent pernambuco bow.
I believe that other bow materials and combinations may be developed before long. For example, in a carbon fibre bow a thin insert of a lightweight single crystal metal alloy is a possibility.
Trevor
Bow making in Utah.
Bow making in Utah.
Did you know that you can spend $10,000 on the perfect bow? Apparently so. I saw this article and thought I would pass it along.
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Oct/10022003/Thursday/Thursday.asp
# Posted on October 24th 2003 by irish ruff
Re: Bow making in Utah.
Wll worth reading, and there are some very interesting tips about learning the techniques in bow-making. These technique learning tips can be applied in general to almost anything.
Trevor
# Posted on October 25th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Bow making in Utah.
Thanks Trevor, I don't play, obviously, but Old World craftsmanship like this is mindboggling and fascinating.. The apprentices spend 18 months studying before they make their first bow!
I'm glad the link worked!
# Posted on October 25th 2003 by irish ruff
Re: Bow making in Utah.
For non-fiddlers who may not be aware of the situation, pernambuco wood from Brazil is considered by most people to be by far the best material for making violin bows. The point the article makes about the Brazilian authorities trying to stop the export of pernambuco wood (presumably because the tree is an endangered species) has serious implications for the fiddle world, not least of which is that the price of pernambuco bows can only keep on rising.
Another point, which wasn't mentioned in the article, is that there is a high rejection rate in the making of bows. The nature of the material and the final product are such that it is quite difficult for most bow makers to predict the quality of the bow until it has actually been made. Perhaps one of the reasons for the lengthy and intensive training provided by the master bow-maker in Utah is to try to ensure that his pupils end up with a level of skill that will minimise rejects.
Other woods are sometimes used for violin bows, snakewood being one, but carbon-fibre bows are now coming into common use, especially in the lower and middle ranges of the market. Carbon fibre is a material that can be designed and engineered to have exactly the properties required for a fiddle bow, and in a highly reproducible form, thus greatly reducing wastage in production. Carbon fibre bows have been discussed several times on this website, and at the top end of the CF range it is now possible to buy a bow suitable for professional use at a mere fraction of the price of an equivalent pernambuco bow.
I believe that other bow materials and combinations may be developed before long. For example, in a carbon fibre bow a thin insert of a lightweight single crystal metal alloy is a possibility.
Trevor
# Posted on October 25th 2003 by Trevor Jennings