Here is a rare full silver set of pipes made by the Edinburgh firm of William Sinclair and Son. The pipes are hallmarked 1972.

William Sinclair started business in 1931 and still operates today. They have gained a well-earned reputation as the best and most consistent modern pipemaker. This set was likely made by William Sinclair junior. The tone is full and I was very impressed by how steady they were from the second I pulled the middle tenor into tune. This is a great high-end Sinclair set that comes with the original Sinclair chanter and silver sole.

The pipes did not need refinishing. The tenor stocks have had each had a very minor hairline crack sealed as a proactive setup. It was only when I was hemping the pipes that I realized the blowstick is a matching poly replacement, thought the projecting mount is original. The bass stock appears to be a replacement, but still has the original ferrule. The only deficiency in the set otherwise is that there is no full silver mouthpiece and bulb, though it’s possible the set was not made with one.

A nice attribute of this set is that the silver projecting mounts are formed, not solid, so the set is not much heavier than a standard silver and ivory set.

The are lots of of Sinclair bagpipe devotees out there, and if you’re one of them you’ll hardly do better than this set.