This is one of the most unique sets to come to McGillivray Piping in some time. The pipes are Peter Henderson, in ebony, thought to date from the 1880s. The projecting mounts and bushes are ivory. The drone ferrules, slides, caps and mouthpiece tube appear to be what has been called “German silver,” which was an alloy of copper (60%), nickel (20%) and zinc (20%). It was hand engraved (except for the turning slides) and then silver plated. The stocks are Sterling silver, likely cast, and quite ornate. Though the combination of two kinds of ferrules is unusual, other sets known to be from Henderson’s early years do exist like this, though in at least one other case it was the caps that were cast. For example, there are strong similarities in engraving between this instrument, and the one show on Ringo Bowen’s site as Calum Piobaire’s 1866 Prize Pipe. Of particular interest are the ornate caps:

Calum Piobaire’s Prize Pipe

The tuning pin on the middle bass drone joint and the chanter stock were cracked and both have been replaced with ebony reproductions. One tenor bottom had a hairline crack, so three combing sections were invisibly whipped to prevent spreading.

While all bores ran perfectly true, some had shrunk slightly and were re-reamed to original Henderson specs by Dunbar Bagpipes.

The drones are bold, steady, and blend beautifully with each other and with the chanter.

This is a remarkable instrument and artifact in superb shape.