This is one of the old sets of Hendersons we’ve had on the vintage page.

The pipes are cocuswood, mounted in ivory and elegantly engraved silver. The silver is not hallmarked, and the silver ferrules have seams, both evidence of the pipes having been made around or before the turn of the century.

The engraving is light and tasteful, and the silver shines up beautifully. The ivory is in spectacular shape.

The tone is vintage Henderson — full, rich, and, unlike the ferrules, seamless.

There were hairine cracks in one tenor top, one tenor stock, the blowstick stock, and at the very bottom of the bass stock. These have been invisible whipped. Cocuswood is more difficult to match than blackwood or ebony, so the recombed sections show the repairs slightly, though I like to think it has been tastefully done.

The original chanter stock was too badly split to salvage, so the mount was put on a blackwood replica stock. The seam on one tenor ferrule has separated slightly, but this is visible only up close.

This is a pretty special set. Perhaps that should go without saying.