SOLD – This stunning set came from an estate sale where it had never been played. It was originally purchased by a gentlemen who had never had a lesson and who, it would appear, never played them either. The pipes came to me without a mark on the wood or silver. The finish you see in the photos is the original, unblemished finish. This is essentially a brand new, 1966 full-silver Sinclair bagpipe.

This brief history comes from a letter to the Sinclair company from the owner and the return letter from Alistair Sinclair, both included with the pipes. The owner makes it clear that he always wanted a bagpipe but knows nothing about how to play. He asks for instructions. The reply offers basic blowing instruction, a tutor book, a practice chanter and a tin of seasoning.  There is no further correspondence.

The pipes come with the original Sinclair chanter and matching silver sole as well as the original, good-as-new case with the Sinclair stamp on the inside of the lid.

The pipes required the re-affixing of many of the mounts, a polish, a shortening of the blowstick, rehemping and oiling.

They played like a dream. I played Sinclair pipes for 10 years at the height of my competitive career and loved the full, bright sound of the drones.

SOLD – This set had only one owner, who brought the pipes with him when he emigrated from Aberdeen, Scotland to the Canadian midwest in 1920 when he was 20.

The pipes are R. G. Lawrie, and the appearance, plus the above evidence, date the set from the years around 1920. The pipes are mounted in ivory and nickel — tapered ferrules, as Lawrie was wont to do.

The blowstick and blowstick stock were beyond repair and have been replaced with poly-lined, blackwood replicas.  One tenor top had a small crack. Unfortunately, due to thin wood at that point in the drone, it had to be externally rather than internally whipped, and this is visible in the photos. The pipes have been stripped and refinished and since they haven’t been played since the 1980s, extra care has been taken in oiling.

Tonally, these pipes are typical Lawrie from this era:  extremely robust and very steady, locking in nicely with my current set of Canning drone reeds.

SOLD – This set came to me about a year and a half ago and has been my personal set for the past few months. They came to me as hallmarked 1926 Hendersons; however, this is not what they were at all. They were clearly Lawries, and while the pipes certainly had every indication of being from the 1920s — including the superb tone — the silver was neither PH hallmarked nor 1926. Only the slides are hallmarked, and as far as I can tell from the date stamp in the hallmark, the silver slides are from 1983. The rest of the silver may have been installed at the same time, but this is not certain.

The pipes are blackwood and the projecting mounts are new imitation ivory installed some months ago to replace ivory which was aging badly. Why did I play these pipes as my own set for some months? Because the tone was brilliant: a big drone sound that blended beautifully with the chanter. I couldn’t resist making them mine for a while.

The set was stripped and refinished during its initial refurbishment. All evidence points to this being a brilliant early Lawrie set, with silver added later.

SOLD – his Dave Atherton MD was made in 2009 or a little before. Dave Atherton models his MacDougall reproduction after a set of brilliant 1870s cocuswood Duncan MacDougall pipes that had been owned by Roddy MacDonald from Wilmington, Delaware. The craftsmanship and tone of these pipes as a modern-made instrument are beyond compare.

This set is in mint condition but for one chip on one projecting mount. The chip has been glued nicely back in place and the repair is almost invisible. The blowstick and blowstick stock are polypenco. The drone and chanter stock bores are all tapered, a technique Atherton has used periodically in keeping with the theory that the tapering reduces turbulence for steadier air flow.

As an aside, this set was played in seven winning bands across four grades at the North American Championship in Maxville and was played in an army pipe band in recent years during tours of Vimy, Dieppe, Juno Beach, and the battlefields of the Italian campaign.

SOLD – This Lawrie set is in excellent condition for its age. All pieces are original, and needed no work was needed other than to polish them up on the lathe.

The set comes with its original chanter, though old Lawrie chanters were not particularly good and this is not a chanter you would wish to play. However, it supports the historical integrity of the instrument.

Tonally the drones are steady and rich, though slightly flatter than some Lawries, tuning slightly lower than usual on the tuning pins. The set is ivory-free.

SOLD — This is a fairly early David Glen set, made in ebony, and mounted in full ivory, likely during David’s early years in the 1870s. The projecting mounts are smaller that in later sets, and more rounded, in the style of David’s father Alexander.

As is usual with 140-year-old ebony, there were some cracks under ferrules that extended up into the pieces. These have been invisible whipped and will be stable going forward. The two bass tuning pins are fitted with copper sleeves. These may have been added later, but chances are the entire set was originally sleeved and at some point the tenor sleeves were removed.

The set had come to the previous owner with no stocks. He asked David Naill & Co. to create replica stocks out of blackwood and fit them with aged imitation ivory that would match the original ivory on the pipes as closely as possible. The result is remarkably accurate.

All other pieces are original, except for the blowpipe, which is a replica with it’s original ivory mount.

The pipes play in typically David Glen fashion:  slightly subdued and with extreme steadiness and a rich blend with the chanter.

SOLD – This unusual Henderson set came to me with Sterling silver slides hallmarked PH 1910. The pipes are ebony.  All pieces are original except for the blowpipe, which is a Lawrie, and a good match for the set.

In typical fashion for ebony, the pipes had some minor hairline cracking under the ferrules. These are not officially “cracks”, but they can become cracks, so we invisible whip all of these under the ferrules.

One tenor drone was tuning quite low and had a problematic double tone. After careful measurements by Rick Pettigrew at Dunbar Bagpipes, it was determined the tuning chamber in the tenor top was slightly larger than optimal — perhaps a previous refurb had over-bored the joint in an effort to even out the tuning chamber. A blackwood sleeve was made and installed into that bore to make it identical to the other tenor.

The finished pipes played absolutely beautifully with my Kinnaird Edge drone reeds. They locked into tune immediately and displayed the classic rich, seamless and robust sound you would expect from an old Henderson set in ebony. Quite remarkable steadiness, and great blend with the chanter, and superb work by Dunbar Bagpipes.

SOLD — This ebony MacDougall set is difficult to date, but probably originated in Duncan MacDougall’s shop in the 1890s. Duncan liked customers to come to the shop to order a bagpipe, and it was there that customers probably chose minor tweaks to their instruments. The Edinburgh-style cut beads on the projecting mounts on this set are a likely example, as Duncan rarely did this.

The set was in such good shape when I acquired it that I was convinced it had replacement pieces, but in fact all pieces are original ebony except for the blowstick and blowstick stock. The ferrule on the bass top might be a replacement, but if so, it is a perfect ivory replica.

The bass bottom was cracked and required invisible whipping. A number of ferrules had the usual tiny cracks in the tenons that come with age, and these were whipped under the ferrules to prevent future cracking.

The set came with what looked like old Robertson slides that didn’t suit the pipes at all and impeded the tuning chambers, so these were replaced with plain Sterling silver slides hallmarked 2016.

The set played in typical MacDougall fashion: robust but not booming, very steady, and with a sonorous bass sound.

Email me about this set.

As shown, sticks only
CAD $6,950 plus shipping

Set up to play by Jim McGillivray with Ross or Bannatyne bag, polypenco chanter of choice, Ezeedrone drone reeds, Highland Gear bag cover, plain coloured silk drone cords, plastic chanter cap. (To add Ross or Bannatyne Canister system and Ross valve/watertrap, add CAD $165) (For an African Blackwood chanter instead of polypenco, request add-on price.)
CAD $7,695  plus shipping

SOLD – This is a rare Robertson set with non-ivory (casein) mounts that have been polished and have not deteriorated into a gray, chalky material. The engraved nickel mounts were added at some point in the recent past.

The set had some hairline cracks in a couple of pieces that have been invisible whipped so that they would not spread. The stocks don’t appear to be original to the set. The are extremely well made, are almost certainly Starck stocks. All match but for the blowpipe stock, which also is a recent replacement. The blowstick itself was missing, so a polypenco replica was made and a matching casein mount found and installed. At least a couple of drone pieces could be Brazilwood, a wood frequently used by James Robertson. The casein shows numerous spider lines but all mounts are solid.

The set locked into tune immediately with my Kinnaird Edge drone reeds, and the sound was robust and steady within seconds. In terms of manufacturing standards and sound, Robertson was the most consistent maker I know of through the entire life of the company; materials may differ, but the quality of work and sound is always exemplary.

SOLD — We’ve had quite a number of cocuswood Hendersons on the site over the years, but few in such great shape. Cocuswood is stupendous for pipes and it is sad that it is no longer available in instrument-grade. The use of cocuswood, along with the profiles of this set, indicate a manufacturing date likely within five years either way of the Great War.

The set needed no work but for re-truing of the tenor tuning chambers and reaffixing of the nickel ferrules. The colouring is sublime and the ivory and nickel are in lovely condition.

Tonally, these pipes are premier: robust and steady, with a seamless overall blend typical of the great Henderson sets.

This set would make any piper happy, from the serious hobbyist to a Gold Medal contender.

SOLD – The Starck firm began business in the early 19th century as a woodwind maker. In 1889, Henry Starck was convinced by William Ross, the Queen’s piper, to make bagpipes. The firm made absolutely superb instruments, and many of the pre-1950s sets are as good as those of any other maker.

This set is thought to date into the 1930s. It is blackwood, mounted in full ivory, and has engraved German silver slides. German silver is the name given to a widely used alloy of the time similar to today’s nickel.

The pipes are in excellent condition and required invisible whipping only along a hairline crack in the blowstick. The finish needed only polishing and appears to be original. There are some small, filled cracks in the ivory mount of the blowpipe stock.

I tested this set along with two sets of Hendersons and was impressed by the fact that it was easily as good as the Hendersons in terms of steadiness, richness, blend, volume and proper tuning positions. This is a superb set of pipes.

SOLD — Full silver pipes of any kind are uncommon. If they happen to be Lawries:  bonus.

This set is hallmarked with “RGL” silver on each piece, and the date is 1964-65. All pieces are original.

One tenor stock and one tenor top had hairline cracks that have been repaired invisibly. The finish on the pipes was in good shape. I prefer to leave pipes as original as possible if I possibly can, so the pipes were not refinished. The blowpipe has at some point had a copper insert installed and a crack repaired and this has held up well.

Note that the dark blotches appearing on the ring cap silver in a couple of the photos are reflections from my lights, not blemishes.

Tonally the set is full and steady, tuning up quickly with my current Kinnaird Edge drone reeds.

If you long for a head-turning set with good tone and a quality name like Lawrie for a reasonable price, you won’t do better than this one!

SOLD – This cocuswood Henderson set is stamped in the cord guides. It came to me mounted in nickel and casein. The wood and profiles suggest a manufacturing date within a few years of the Great War.

The casein was not in good shape so it was decided to remount the entire set in imitation ivory and Sterling silver engraved in Ancient Celtic by Truehand engraving. The pipes came out beautifully after refinishing and the cocuswood gives them a lovely burgundy hue.

They played beautifully from the first blow, locking into tune in the correct tuning positions and filling the room with a classic, bold, seamless Henderson sound.

SOLD – This set came to me with the imitation ivory mounts added. The stocks are replica Lawrie stocks, except for the chanter stock, with came from a different set and is mounted in holly. The blowpipe is also a replica.

The drones are all original, and the projecting mounts are ebony or African blackwood. Some hairline cracks have been repaired pro-actively to prevent later troubles. When these pictures were taken I had lost the chanter stock and took the photos with a replacement. The original has since been found — it had rolled off the worktable and into a Kleenex box on the end table….

Tonally this set is extraordinary: very full, very steady, and with superb chanter blend. This ivory-free set would sound great on any stage.

SOLD – This set immediately struck me as a Donald MacPhee set when I first saw it two years ago. I sent photos of it to Ron Bowen. By a remarkable coincidence, he just happened to have a set of pipes in his possession that had its original 1876 bill of sale from Donald MacPhee’s shop in Glasgow. The two sets of pipes were identical in every respect. The chanter that is with the set is a very old Henderson, probably made early in the life on the Henderson shop. Of course, Donald MacPhee’s shop became the Peter Henderson shop when MacPhee died at 37 in 1880.

I’ve been playing this set as my primary bagpipe for the past year. As I tend to do, I’m moving on to a different set that has come into my collection. This MacPhee set is robust, steady, rich, and has an excellent blend with the drones. I have enjoyed playing it immensely. I just noticed a small crack in the blowpipe stock. This will be invisible whipped and will never be a problem again.

The set was refinished a year ago.

This is a first-class set from one of the great figures in piping history.

SOLD – The Duncan MacRae firm made pipes in Glasgow from 1897 to 1952. One of their patented innovations was the “hempless slide.” This is a nickel tuning slide sheath with grooves cut near the top that can be sprung slightly to act just like a hemped tuning slide. Most of them lose their shape after some decades and folks have them cut short in favour of a hemped tenon. Some forward-thinking soul was smart with this set and left the upper bass slide “hempless” as original. It is quite firm and perfect for the bass upper. There is no telltale patent number on any of the nickel slides, suggesting the pipes were made around the time or before the patent was approved. Patent-numbered slides give 1909 as the date of the patent. The use of blackwood would suggest a manufacturing date later in the first decade of the last century.

Another distinctive MacRae feature of this set are slightly different bore measurements between the two tenor drone tops.

This set has typical, beaded MacRae nickel and ivory mounts. The tone is also typically MacRae:  boomingly robust and steady, locking in nicely with my Kinnaird Edge reeds. The set was polished, but not stripped and refinished.  A crack was invisible-whipped under one tenor stock. A slight separation in one ivory ring was filled. There is a little-fingernail-sized chip in one projecting mount.

MacRae has become a popular name in recent years, and every MacRae  bagpipe I have through the shop confirms for me why.

SOLD – This is a slightly unusual set in having artificial ivory material I have never encountered before. It varies in clarity — some mounts polished up brighter than others — and has the texture almost of porcelain. The bottom projecting mount on one tenor piece was broken on arrival, but I was able to replace it with an old ivory mount that matches quite nicely, to the point where you would have to look very, very closely to know it’s ivory.

The wood is a rich, reddish-brown. It almost looks like cocuswood, though I think it is African blackwood. The pipes needed a polish and the reedseats needed opening out, as many Lawries of this vintage do. But they cleaned up beautifully. The cork on the tuning pins instead of hemp is perfectly sized, and with a little cork grease provides quite a lovely tuning action.

Tonally the drones locked in from the get-go with a rich, mellow sound not as voluminous as earlier Lawries: quite a Hardie-like tone. These would make an excellent starter pipe, or a work-a-day, foul weather or travel set

SOLD – This flat-combed bagpipe is a bit of a puzzle. For all intents and purposes it is a button-mount Lawrie, but the wood may well be Amercian rosewood, and there are no other known Lawries made of this wood. However, it may also be particularly rich-coloured cocobola, which would be more in keeping with pipemaking.

The ferrules are nickel and the ring caps are imitation ivory which replaced orange catalin at some point in the past.

The pipes are in excellent shape, with a full (but not booming) and quite warm tone that locked in nicely with my Kinnaird Edge drone reeds. The pipes are slightly lighter in weight than a blackwood set.

This resilient little number would make an excellent starter pipe, or a work-a-day, foul weather or travel set.

SOLD – This old Henderson came to me in spectacular condition. It had been refurbished some years ago and needed no additional work. Profiles suggest a manufacturing date close to either side of 1930, and the exquisite drone tone would confirm that they are from the great Henderson years.

The wood colour suggests cocuswood, and although we can’t be sure without stripping the wood, I believe the pipes are African blackwood.

The tuning pins were recently fitted with cork joints. The fit is absolutely perfect provided a bit of cork grease is applied. Cork grease is provided with the pipes. The sound is robust, seamless, rich and steady as a rock with my Kinnaird Edge drone reeds — what the old Hendersons are renown for.

This set is classic Henderson and would do well on any competition stage in the world, including the major gatherings at Oban or Inverness.

SOLD – This lovely silver and ivory Lawrie set is hallmarked with RGL and the 1959 symbol on every piece. Every piece is original except for the mouthpiece bulb. Ivory mouthpiece bulbs rarely service, though the engraved silver sleeve is original.

This set was made at a time when the shapes of the Lawrie bells had departed somewhat from the original design — much more square rather than the rectangular shape on top of a sloping fountain. When I acquired this set from a well known professional player, the drones were fairly flat in pitch and tuned low on the tuning pins. However, this was a fairly simple fix with a couple of bore adjustments by Dunbar Bagpipes and the drones now tune in their proper positions.

It’s a typically robust Lawrie sound:  bold, rich and steady.  This is a beautiful instrument for someone in the market for a great combination of tone and aesthetics.

Email me about this set.

As shown, sticks only
CAD $5,025 plus shipping

Set up to play by Jim McGillivray with Ross or Bannatyne bag, polypenco chanter of choice, Ezeedrone drone reeds, Highland Gear bag cover, plain coloured silk drone cords, plastic chanter cap. (To add Ross or Bannatyne Canister system and Ross valve/watertrap, add CAD $165) (For an African Blackwood chanter instead of polypenco, request add-on price.)
CAD $5,795  plus shipping

SOLD – This is a rare, button-mount, Dave Atherton MD (MacDougall bores).

Made in 2014, the profiles and bores of this instrument were modelled after a circa 1870s Duncan MacDougall bagpipe owned by the late Roddy MacDonald of Wilmington Delaware. (Roddy’s bagpipe did not have button mounts.) I was working with Dave when this model of bagpipe was developed and can attest to the incredible quality of craftsmanship and wood that went into his pipes. The tone is a superb reproduction of Duncan MacDougall’s sound:  full and rich, with a bass that cradles the entire bagpipe sound. They are remarkably steady, and in recent years Athertons have won prizes at the highest levels, including the Gold Medal at Inverness and the M/S/R at the Glenfiddich Piping Championship.

This instrument came to me with small fissures in two stocks. These have been invisible whipped superbly by Dunbar Bagpipes and will never present another problem. The blowpipe is brass-lined blackwood, and the blowpipe stock is polypenco.

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As shown, sticks only
CAD $3,625 plus shipping

Set up to play by Jim McGillivray with Ross or Bannatyne bag, polypenco chanter of choice, Ezeedrone drone reeds, Highland Gear bag cover, plain coloured silk drone cords, plastic chanter cap. (To add Ross or Bannatyne Canister system and Ross valve/watertrap, add CAD $165) (For an African Blackwood chanter instead of polypenco, request add-on price.)
CAD $4,395  plus shipping

SOLD – Grainger & Campbell was founded in 1946 in Glasgow, and subsequently moved into Duncan MacRae’s shop on Argyll Street when that firm ceased doing business in 1952. Through the 1960s and early 1970s John MacFadyen and Pipe Major Donald MacLeod were part owners and oversaw all instrument design. G&C made superb pipes during these years and most are still in active duty.

This set was purchased from the shop in 1972 by its only owner and has seen limited playing during its 47-year lifetime. The pipes have their original finish and are in superb condition save for some yellow staining on the ivory. The turner spared no blackwood when making this set and the bottom joints in particular are heavy and ample. The set comes with its original chanter which, under MacFadyen and MacLeod’s direction, was a very good stick in its day. The tuning chambers are still perfectly even, indicating the quality of wood used at the time.

The tone is full and steady and this would be an excellent starter or lifetime set for a hobbyist.

SOLD – This Dave Atherton “MD” model was made in 2011. It has nickel ferrules and ring caps, and imitation ivory projecting mounts and bushes. The blowpipe is copper-lined blackwood. The blowstick stock and chanter stock are polypenco.

I worked with Dave on the development of this model, primarily by sourcing the original cocuswood circa 1870s Duncan MacDougall bagpipe that he used as the model. I also tested the prototype sets. I can attest to the remarkable quality of Dave’s instruments, and particularly to the high quality wood he used and the care he took with every set.

Athertons of this model have won prizes at the highest levels, including the Gold Medal, the Glenfiddich Championship MSR, and the World Pipe Band Championship. The drones are robust and rich and remarkably steady.

This set is in superb condition but for a small scratch on the lower bass tuning pin. The blowstick stock is not original as the original owner just used a split stock. Dunbar Bagpipes made an excellent reproduction blowpipe stock and mount for this set.

SOLD – The Kintail pipemaking firm was founded by Greig Sharp in the early 1970s and still operates today. Sharp learned his trade during the latter years of the Henderson firm before it was sold to R. G. Hardie in 1971. Greig Sharp passed away in 2009.

Though Kintail is rarely ranked in the top tier of pipemakers, Sharp’s pipemaking pedigree produced a solid and reliable set of pipes with a bold, steady sound. This set is a substantial set to hold in your hands: no skimping on wood.  It locked in nicely with my current set of Kinnaird Edge drone reeds. The set has been well taken care of and is in superb shape, with nickel and imitation ivory mounts in pristine condition. The original Kintail poly pipe chanter plays very well.

This would be an excellent set for a new piper or an adult hobbyist looking for a reliable instrument at an accessible price. I played a set of Kintails in the early years during my first couple of years as a professional competitor.

SOLD – This Hardie bagpipe came to me in superb condition, well taken care of, and as far as I know with the original finish. I’ve become a big fan of the old Hardies. Bob Hardie and John Weatherston used superb, well-aged wood, and made consistently good pipes that are steady and easy to reed. Smaller-bored drones, they are more mellow in tone and are an excellent choice for young beginners or adult hobbyists.

The reedseats in these drones have been opened out slightly and threaded to better latch on to the drone reeds.

Hardie pipes of this vintage and older have frequently appeared on these pages and are always well received. Bob Hardie was a gem of a man, a superb player and pipe major of Muirhead & Son’s Ltd. Pipe Band when they won five straight World Pipe Band Championships in the mid-1960s. The company was dissolved after its two principals passed in the 1990s, though the name has been revived again in recent years.

The pipes come with their original Hardie chanter. When it was made this was the premier chanter of the day. It will still play well with the right reed, though the lower pitch would be out of place on today’s competition boards.

Email me about this set.

As shown, sticks only
CAD $1,625 plus shipping

Set up to play set up to play by Jim McGillivray with Ross or Bannatyne bag, Aurora JM or MCC2 McCallum poly chanter, Ezeedrone drone reeds, Highland Gear bag cover, plain coloured silk drone cords, plastic chanter cap. (To add Ross or Bannatyne Canister system and Ross valve/watertrap, add CAD $165) (For an African Blackwood chanter instead of polypenco, add CAD $175.)
CAD $2,375  plus shipping

SOLD – Robert Gillanders began making pipes in Dundee in 1930, having amassed an impressive pedigree by apprenticing with John Center, the Thows and Gavin MacDougall. This set was made by Robert Jr. in Forfar around 1970, just before Pipe Major Iain McLeod bought into the company in 1972 and it became Gillanders & McLeod. Each cord guide in this set is stamped “R. Gillanders.”

This set is completely original and blemish-free, the finish original. Pipes made by the original Gillanders company have a loyal underground following, and after hearing this set played and recorded for an upcoming pipesdrums.com article on the Gillanders firm I understand why. The tone startled me: bold and rich, with a sound-surround bass and superb steadiness. It would hold its own at any level: a sleeper if I ever heard one.

The chanter pictured with the set is a Grainger and Campbell that came with the pipes: quite a superb chanter in its day, from a time with Donald MacLeod and John MacFadyen were kingpins in the Grainger shop on Argyle Street in Glasgow. It will still play well with the right reed, though the lower pitch would be out of place on today’s competition boards.

SOLD – William Sinclair Sr. began making pipes in Edinburgh in 1931 and the company is still in business today under his grandson Alistair. The company has maintained an extremely high standard of manufacturing and tonal excellence throughout its long history.

The exact manufacturing date of this instrument is unclear as makers continued to use previously purchased legal ivory for some years after the CITES ban came into effect in 1974. However, it was presumably purchased new in 1983 by a member of the Canadian armed forces, who purchased them from the Sinclair shop while he was stationed in Germany. The hand-engraved nickel slides were added in 2011, as was the poly blowpipe bulb.

This instrument has never been refurbished or refinished: it remains as it was made, with absolutely pristine mounts and unblemished wood.

Tonally it is full and steady, with a brightness of sound typical of William Sinclair pipes at their best.

SOLD – Alexander Glen began making pipes in Edinburgh around 1835 and continued until his death in 1873. His son David was perhaps the most famous Glen in this pipemaking dynasty that spanned more than 120 years, but Alex set the original standard for craftsmanship.

This remarkable set came to me almost complete, lacking only its blowpipe. The wood is ebony and the mounts are marine ivory — walrus — which was used widely in pipemaking during the 19th century. The pipes display the narrow profiles and mounts typical of Edinburgh pipemakers during this period.

Alexander Glen with son David in their Edinburgh shop around 1870.

Unfortunately, the blowpipe stock and one tenor stock were cracked badly enough that it was best to make blackwood replicas. The blowpipe and blowpipe stock are poly-lined, with the projecting mount on the blowstick coming from an orphan tenor bottom in my collection that matched very well. A number of hairline cracks in the drone pieces were invisible whipped and will not recur. It would appear that one of the tenor bushings may have been replaced at some point in the distant past. The pipes have been completely refinished.

The tone is rich and refined: the more ‘mellow’ sound which David would continue. The drones were rock steady with my set of Kinnaird Edge reeds.

This is a lovely piece of antique history as well as a superb musical instrument.

SOLD – This is an interesting little number:  a classic “3/4 set,” often called in the old days a “lady’s set” or a “child’s set.” They are cocuswood with nickel ferrules and rings, and are stamped “David Glen & Sons, Edinburgh” on the chanter and bass drone stock. They almost certainly date within 10 years either way of 1920.

The 3/4-sized chanter is pitched pretty close to Bb (466). The pipes are in good shape, though the combing has been scraped in several places. There are no cracks and all pieces are original. A plastic bag containing two sets of cane 3/4-size drone reeds came with the pipes, though the Ezeedrone folk also make drone reeds to suit pipes like these.

I have done no work on this set except to rehemp them (after the pics were taken). They are priced to sell and are being sold as-is:  sticks, stocks, chanter and drone reeds only. Some people play these as “session pipes” in Bb, though perhaps they are more suited these days to getting a tiny, young piper started. Bruce Gandy told me he started his son Alex on a 3/4 set.

SOLD – This stunning set of Robertson pipes originally came from a Scottish piping family by the name of MacHardy. James Shearer MacHardy (1899-1985) served with the Gordon Highlanders in WW1, was a friend of the great G. S. McLennan, and purchased the pipes in 1960 for a student who subsequently passed away as a young man. MacHardy reacquired the pipes and they were sold to Russell MacKenzie, another MacHardy student, who emigrated to Canada and played the pipes for more than 50 years, much of this in the Ottawa, Ontario area. MacKenzie was the most recent owner.

The pipes sport three silver plaques. One on the bass drone commemorates MacKenzie’s time as Pipe Major of the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Rifles from 1960-68. One tenor stock plaque commemorates his teeacher, the aforementioned James Shearer MacHardy. The plaque on the other tenor stock commemorates Hardy’s father, also James, who lived from 1863 until 1933 and who served for a time in his early teen years as a piper in the employ of Queen Victoria, where he was known as “Little Jimmy.” All of this history is well documented on several documents that accompany the pipes, including a book of “Little Jimmy’s” memoirs.

The pipes themselves are gorgeous and in remarkable shape. The blowstick stock was badly cracked and has been replaced with a poly-lined blackwood replica with the original silver mount. The original ivory mouthpiece bulb was cracked beyond repair and was replaced with an imitation ivory bulb. The original silver sleeve remains. The chanter stock has a three-inch gouge probably made by someone trying to cut it out of a bag. It would not be visible once tied in. The drone and chanter stocks are tapered, a common practice of the Robertson company at this time. The original finish on the pipes was in good condition and has been left as is.

The original sole is mounted onto a blackwood chanter made by the Hugh MacPherson firm of Edinburgh. It is unknown when it was made.

James Robertson’s company made pipes in Edinburgh from 1908-64, having taken over the Center shop when that family emigrated to Australia. I know of no other company that maintained such high standards of tone for so long. Each of the many sets I’ve played over the years has been the same: bold, rich and steady. The tone and distinctive Robertson appearance make this company’s silver and ivory mounted sets among the most desirable on the market.