Weidlich German Violin Bow Leipzig circa 1915-1930

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If you want to purchase the best French bows, be prepared to spend a ton of money. Yes, they are very nice. Bows by François Tourte, the originator of the modern bow and the standard by which others are measured, long ago surpassed the 5-6 figure mark. Bows by the best French makers easily start at 25K. Just go east by 400 miles or more and you will find a great bargain for bows that were made in 19th and 20th century in Germany. German bows are a tremendously good value in the violin world today. Many concert artists have a fine German-made bow in their quiver selection of bows. I know many fine players who value highly their German sticks. The Germans made twice as many violins and bows as anyone else, more than the market required; therefore their prices were lower. Sometimes the German reputations suffer from their phenomenal success in commercial instruments and bow manufacturing during the past two centuries. I’ve been into studying German bows for the past 45 years. They are beautiful and are of great value. In my collection of bows (yes I am heavily invested in old bows I purchased as a young kid in the New York City/New Jersey area) these are the sticks players are seeking out. These days I do not need to persuade anyone in their value and quality. Let your bow arm do the testing and give German bows a fair shot on your instrument.

Our Weidlich Leipzig bow is very nice. This is a higher end trade bow from Germany in octagonal section and pernambuco specie. The bow is mounted in nickel silver. I replaced the winding and also put on new leather grips. All other aspects of the bow are original. The ebony frog sports single mother-of-pearl eyes and a three-piece end button. Easily close to a 100-years-old and in beautiful condition, this is a bow that is fully lined in the frog and semi-firm in its strength. The lining is connected to the frog by small screws and the stick feels light in the hand. An all around very nice playing bow.

Weight fully haired 61.0 grams