Off the Bench

A Collaboration Cello Bow

I finally got around to stamping and wrapping this special collaboration bow that I made with Denver based bow maker Evan Orman. Early in the pandemic Evan and I joined Jake Brillhart’s brilliant effort to raise money for musicians impacted by COVID related work stoppages (you can see how that went by scrolling back on this page). We had such a good time working together (from far apart) that we decided to make another bow together. This is the result. It is a Tourte model cello bow with frog and button made by me and the stick made by Evan. I have learned so much from Evan over the years both at the Oberlin Bow Maker’s Workshop and now through these collaborations. It is a great honor and a pleasure for me to see a stick branded with his name on one side and mine on the other.

A cello bow

This week has been all about this cello bow. Occasionally, it works out that I am able to sit down and focus on making a single bow start to finish. It is always an interesting experience and one that usually teaches me a great deal. Most of the time, work is broken up by repairs phone calls, kids’ events or the dog demanding a run. Or I am making 2-3 bows at the same time and they are forever intertwined in my mind. When I do get the chance to focus on one bow, I love the feeling of the work flowing from one task to the next. There is a lovely rhythm to the process that is addictive.

This bow: Cello bow inspired by Lamy in pernambuco, ebony and sterling silver. Well balanced and just over 81 grams.

Baroque Bow #1

I finally did it…I have been thinking about making a baroque bow for years and, finally, here is the first one. The stick is fluted and made from wamara (a Swartzia species). The frog is made from a piece of curly apple that I cut at a neighbors a couple of years ago. This bow is modeled on a bow in L’Archet that dates from the late 18th century. It is of a much earlier style (low head, tall frog, fluted etc) with one important difference: it has a subtle concave camber behind the head. This is a critical moment in the history of the bow. It is a time when orchestras would have been filled with players using bows from every period in our history: pike head models share stands with Kramer models; clip in frogs and fluted bows. And, just visible on the horizon, FX Tourte’s modern model. What an interesting time it must have been!