“Mertes A Cincinnati” Stamped 1/2 Size Markneukirchen Violin Bow circa 1935-1940

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Stamped:

This 1/2 size violin bow has no other markings on the stick or frog. The bow is pernambuco, round in section, and nickel silver mount. The bow has age, and the endscrew/end button is what really caught my eye in restoring the bow. The end button has two silver pins holding each section of the silver segments in place. This is old workmanship, a different era, details I notice as I’ve gotten older, and done well by someone else who works with their hands.

The bow is a trade workshop bow made with a younger player in mind. I replaced the facial tip, player’s side mother-of-pearl eye, the nickel silver winding, and the leathers. Six hours of work went into this bow on one of my Mondays off here at the shop. It had to get done so the bow could be played again, otherwise I have started to see many of these old bows artistically being used a plant/vine holders in a potted plant. This is a nice stick for the young player looking to use the real deal – what I call the real oil painting on their violin instead of a carbon fiber massed produced bow. German workmanship, pernambuco wood, all wrapped up in a 70-80-year-old bow.

Weight fully haired 46.0 grams