This set of blackwood, full-ivory mounted Hendersons comes as close to being authenticated as 1936 as can be without an actual date stamp on the drones. The set came in its original shipping box, addressed to the owner, return addressed Peter Henderson, postmarked 1936. The box was padded with 1936 newspapers. It also contained a brand new Willie Ross-edited Logan’s Tutor printed in 1936. The box was crumbling and the bag was literally rotted, but the parts of the box showing the shipping and postmarking information was kept and will go with the pipes.

The pipes look liked they were used minimally. The stocks were marked with some residue and had to be stripped and refinished, but the finish on the rest of the pipes has not been touched. The original Henderson practice chanter is showing some wear on the mouthpiece. But the pipe chanter is literally brand-spanking new and plays beautifully.

The ivory has some staining, some of which is visible in the pictures. This is the result of the pipes laying unused in the box in one position for decades, perhaps the result of some moisture on the bag. Such staining can be turned down on a lathe without too much difficulty, but I prefer to leave an original gem like this as it is.

The pipes display the big Henderson sound, played steadily with the first set of drone reeds put in them, tuned right where they should, and held nicely for 25 minutes. As a piping friend who was listening said when I was finished, “Yup, those are Hendersons.”