Hot on the heels of the historic silver and ivory Donald MacPhee set shown below is this marvellous set by William Ross, the Queen’s Piper. This is another remarkable set that will likely remain part of the permanent collection.

William Ross was a monumental piping figure during the latter half of the 19th-century. He was born in 1823, and died in 1891, having held the position of Queen’s Piper to Queen Victoria since Angus Mackay’s death in 1854. His 1869 publication of piobaireachd and light music, called “Pipe Music” is one of the most significant collections of the century.

The exact history of his pipemaking business is not clear. He was a very clever businessman and very well-to-do as a result. Jeannie Campbell tells us he made the prize pipe at Inverness from 1873 to 1886. However, it is thought that he was not a turner himself and hired turners to make his pipes for him. From about 1880 onwards, he used Henry Starck, whose family had immigrated to London from Germany many years earlier. This would mark the beginning of the Starck pipemaking business, and the pipes made by the company for the next 30 years would be their best.

After Ross’s death, Starck would stamp his pipes “H. Starck/late W. Ross.” It is thought that sets stamped only “W. Ross” were the earliest, turned while Ross was actively involved in the business.

Starck was meticulous about stamping his instruments, often in several places, and this set is stamped “W. Ross” on each stock. The distinctive projecting mounts are typical of Starck’s wide shapes, though shallower and using a softer, rounded bead rather than the straight cut bead he would use later on. The tuning chambers have brass slides installed.

All pieces appear to be original, though the blowstick is missing. The chanter is cocuswood, and while it may not be original to the set, it too is stamped “W. Ross.”

The set had several cracks, only two of which required whipping. The chanter was a mess, but is now immaculate. Kudos to Dunbar Bagpipe Maker for a remarkable restoration of this instrument, which now should have another 100 years of life left in it.

The tone of this set is typical of the earliest Starcks: big, robust and buzzy. They are as steady as a rock and a joy to play and behold.

This set was sold to me by a Scottish pipemaker as an 1880s cocuswood set, “possibly MacDougall.” One would expect a pipemaker to know wood, but in fact they are ebony, likely circa 1890s, and, if anything, possibly early Lawries. The Lawrie moniker is an educated guess, by a fellow vintage afficionado who has a great eye for shapes and lines. In fact, the tone is quite similar to a circa-1900 ebony/celluloid Lawrie set that was once owned by Captain John MacLellan and sold on this site a few months ago. The sound is rich and very steady, but not the big, full Lawrie/Henderson sound. If you like a mid-range volume set of drones with old Lawrie quality, this set is a good candidate.

Being ebony, there were some hairline cracks, and, being ebony, I take no chances with these. Ebony does not glue as well as blackwood, so both tenor tops and the blowpipe have been invisible whipped. The ebony stocks have been replaced by blackwood, with the orignal ivory mounts. The ivory mount on the chanter stock was reclaimed from another stock. The blowpipe stock was missing; the new stock is poly lined and has an imitation ivory mount.

This is not an unusual amount of restoration for a pre-1900 ebony set of pipes, and the end result is a distinctive old pipe with a lovely, steady tone. A piobaireachd player would like this set.

Here is another set of old ebony pipes that comes to the site with some repaired flaws but a brilliant, steady tone. Made by David Thow of Dundee, the pipes are ebony with silver and ivory mounts. The silver is not hallmarked, but the last owner said he purchased the pipes as having been made in 1909, and the aged look of the ivory and the use of ebony would support that.

John Thow and his son David were remarkable pipemakers in the 50 years on either side of 1900. Their pipes are often mistaken for Gavin MacDougall for various reasons, including the superb tone and the wide cord guides; however, the stylings around the cord guides and on the ivory work on the end caps are distinct Thow traits. Robert Gillanders worked for both MacDougall and Thow (as well as for Center) in the years after 1900, so there are common elements in some of these makers’ pipes. For some reason — perhaps the consistent lack of makers’ stamps — Thow gets short shrift and his pipes are given other well known names, like MacDougall. In short, the three ebony Thow sets on this site at present are gems being sadly ignored for want of a bigger name.

One tenor top on this set was a hack replacement, but both original mounts were in the box, so a replica tenor top has been made in ebony, matching the second original top and using the original mounts. One tenor bottom and the bass stock had hairline cracks, so these were invisible whipped since they are ebony (ebony doesn’t glue as reliably as blackwood). The chanter stock is a replacement, and the blowpipe stock was also whipped. The ivory is lovely. The silver is not of the highest grade and the ferrules are open rather than closed, but the overall effect is quite nice.

The drones play beautifully — steady, robust, and with a wide tuning range that keeps pipes steady.

This set of circa 1960 Hardie full-ivories has been rebored with pre-1940s Henderson bores.

Bob Hardie’s pipes were well crafted and he used superb wood. They are favoured by pipers wanting a quieter pipe, and as a result aren’t as popular as pipes with a fuller sound. I asked the Henderson experts at Dunbar Bagpipes (Jack Dunbar worked at the Henderson shop in the 1940s) to rebore these Hardies according to the old Henderson specs. Only the internal specs of the bells were untouched. The bass bottom joint is a slightly smaller diameter than Henderson so it tunes a bit higher on the pin. The result has been as I’d hoped, with a much fuller drone sound, but still steady and easy to reed.

This bagpipe was in almost perfect condition, and appears to have been played for only a short time. There are some almost imperceptible chips on a couple of the projecting mounts. The finish is original. The blowpipe was missing, so a polypenco-lined blackwood blowpipe was made to match and an old ivory projecting mount turned down a bit to match.

Since reboring, this pristine pipe is robust and much more Henderson-like than the orginal, mellow tone.

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This is a tonally spectacular set of full ivory Henderson pipes with engraved silver slides.

The slides are not hallmarked; however, the mouthpiece tube is hallmarked 1925. The mouthpiece tube is well worn, and it’s hard to tell if it matches the slides. It’s possible that the slides were added later, but the pipes themselves are certainly of the same vintage as the mouthpiece tube: easily 1920s or earlier.

Because the pipes didn’t need to be refinished, the identity of the wood couldn’t be determined for sure. They aren’t ebony. They appear to be blackwood, but in good light they have a distinct reddish cocuswood tinge.

The pipes are in superb condition, showing no cracks or repairs and only some very normal, minor chipping to the mounts.

The tone is big and bold, rich and locked-in steady: really classic Henderson.

Many vintage aficionados consider John Center one of the greatest pipemakers, ranking in both tone and craftsmanship along with Duncan MacDougall, David Glen and Henry Starck. He made pipes in Edinburgh from 1869 to 1908, moving with his son James to Melbourne in the last few years of his life.

He favoured cocuswood as the material of choice for his sticks. His pipes are superbly crafted, and display a refined, buzzy tone about half way been the more robust MacDougall and the subdued Glen. The bass is full and dominant, and the pipes are very steady.

This set is pristine but for the blowstick, which was missing and has been replaced with an ebony replica. While the set has been refinished, there are no cracks or repairs. The mounts are ivory, and the pipes come with the original chanter displaying maker’s the name as “J Center Edinburgh.”

The set is a gorgeous artifact and a lovely instrument.

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As shown, sticks only, with original chanter
CAD $3,250, plus shipping

Set up to play – Ross Bag, MCC2 solo blackwood chanter, Canning drone reeds, bag cover, cords.
CAD $3,900 plus shipping

William Sinclair began making pipes in the 1930s, and the firm is still going strong in Edinburgh under the direction of old Willie’s grandson. The company is renown for the quality of its pipes and chanters, and has long owned a position as one of the great modern pipemakers.

This set was made in 1976, and was remounted in boxwood several years ago by pipemaker Tim Gellaitry, who in fact made pipes for Sinclair for many years. You could hardly make a better choice for reproducing Sinclair mounts. Tim also refinished the pipes at that time.

The pipes are in immaculate condition, with no cracks or repairs. All pieces are original

Sinclair tone is robust and steady. This set was easy to reed and behaved as expected. i’ve not encountered another boxwood-mounted Sinclar set. There may be others, but they are rare.

This is a great “all-natural” pipe with a strong predigree.

Though not stamped, this set shows the very distinctive half-circle beading typical of Starck. It doesn’t show the large, rounded, billiard-ball projecting mounts. This and the use of cocuswood, suggest a manufacturing date ten years on either side of 1930.

All drone pieces are original. The bass stock and the chanter stock are replacements, with two old ivory ferrules slightly turned to match the originals. The blowstick is not original to the set, but has been turned in a matching colour and with an ivory mount. Some ivory gaps have been patched. The ferrule on one tenor drone appears to have had a large piece broken off cleanly at some point and glued back into place. Though the join is quite visible, it is solid and should not come loose with normal use.

The pipes have been stripped and refinished.

The pipes are full and steady in the Starck tradition, with a lovely blend with the chanter typical of cocuswood.

John Center pipes are uncommon, but this is the second coccuswood Center set to became available here in recent months. Many vintage aficionados consider John Center one of the greatest pipemakers, ranking in both tone and craftsmanship along with Duncan MacDougall, David Glen and Henry Starck. He made pipes in Edinburgh from 1869 to 1908, moving with his son James to Melbourne in the last few years of his life.

He favoured cocuswood as the material of choice for his sticks. His pipes are superbly crafted, and display a refined, buzzy tone about half way been the more robust MacDougall and the subdued Glen. The bass is full and dominant, and the pipes are very steady.

This set is all original and has no major damage to the wood. There is some spider cracking in a couple of the ivory pieces, and one ring and one projecting mount are cracked slightly open, but are still solid and unmoving. The set needed no work or refinishing. The two pieces of cracked ivory could be filled, but there was no reason to, and the fill would likely be more visible than the cracks.

This set is a great example of the work of one of the 19th-centuries great pipemakers..

This silver and ivory bagpipe has a brilliant Henderson-like tone: bold, rich and steady, with a wide tuning range that holds the drones in tune for long periods.

I was pleasantly surprised by this, because the visuals left me not knowing what to expect. Looking at the combing, the tenor drones appear to match. The bass top and bottom match, but are different from the tenors, and the bass middle is different again. The ivory projecting mounts are all similar but not identical. (One tenor projecting mount was replaced by a larger mount turned down to match when the pipes were refurbished.)

The patina of the ivory suggests the 1930s or earlier. The silver all matches, but is not hallmarked. Seams are visible in some of the ferrules, and one stock ferrule has a noticeable gap in the seam. The fit of a couple of the silver pieces is not perfect and suggests it was added later.

The mouthpiece bulb is imitation ivory, but is a reasonable match for the aged ivory. A hairline crack in the bass top has been repaired and is not visible. All stocks have been replaced and the original mounts affixed.

However, the bottom line, tonally speaking. is that the pipes are absolutely superb. If this pipe looked as good as it sounds, it would be priced at $7,500 — the price of a high-end silver and ivory Henderson or Lawrie.

But, the flaws don’t allow that, and the price below reflects this.

If you have always wanted a brilliant silver and ivory Henderson or Lawrie pipe, but can’t afford the price tag, this is the bagpipe for you.

This Henderson set is thought to date from around 1930, give or take 10 years. The ring caps were very old catalin, and the ferrules were nickel, neither of which did justice to the pristine wood and tone of this set. I don’t very often mess with original Hendersons, but this set needed an aesthetic makeover, so they were ‘half-silvered’ with lovely Ancient Celtic. The bushes are blackwood.

The chanter is original but has no sole. A matching silver sole can be acquired for this chanter, or whatever chanter is selected for the pipes. The sticks were in immaculate condition, well cared for and played until recently by a friend of mine in New York state. The wood required no refinishing.

The pipes are full and rich Henderson: steady and easily reeded. A great old set, done up beautifully, if I do say so myself.

This is a very sweet little R. G. Lawrie set with lines and ferrules typical of the firm’s 1940s products. The nickel ferrules are more rounded and aesthetically pleasing than other Lawrie nickel mounts.

The drone caps were orange catalin, which nobody likes, especially me. These have been replaced with holly.

The pipes are crack free, and have been refinished. The tone is very steady, and while not as full as the Lawries of the earlier part of the century, they are still fairly robust. They are very light to carry.

I got these for a great price, and they were in great shape, so the refurb was not costly. I’m often asked about affordable vintage pipes for young people looking for good quality for competition, or for a lightweight, low-maintenance set for older hobby pipers.

Well, this here is the set!

This is a lovely Lawrie set that was a bit unusual when I acquired it. The tenor tuning pins (including the silver slides) were extremely long. The bores of the bottom joints were quite narrow, like Hardies. When I played the pipes, it was clear that they could play quite close to concert A. I had the pins shortened and the tenor bottoms opened out, and it became a normal bagpipe, though the tenors still want to tune fairly low on the tuning pins. In all other tonal respects it is a solid, steady set of Lawries, though, because of the tenors, perhaps most suitable for someone who likes to play a flatter pitch — 466-472.

The bushes were catalin, which was unusual given that the rest of the mounts are ivory. The catalin bushes have been replaced by holly. The wood above the projecting mounts on the three bottom pieces was quite narrow — not the usual comb or bead — so this has been built up for a more traditional appearance.

There were no cracks in the wood. The ivory blowpipe bulb is cracked but has been visibly sealed. All other ivory and silver is in excellent condition.

This set of Starcks is not completely original, but it is made entirely in old ebony and ivory and the replacement pieces match Starck specifications.

The bass bottom joint and one tenor bottom are not original. The stocks are not original but all match. All ivory matches nicely as the photos show.

The bass mid-joint had a hairline crack and has been invisibly whipped; one tenor top and one stock have been whipped slightly under the ferrules. These flaws will never budge and they are imperceptible.

The Henry Starck, London stamp is visible on one tenor pin and the bass middle pin.

The pipes exhibit the classic, steady tone of ebony Starcks made by the elder Henry (d. 1924): full, but not overpowering, and with a rich buzz.

Since not all pieces are original and there has been some whipping, the pipes are priced appropriately. But the tone is as good as any Henry Starck pipes you’ll find.

These pipes were played by a good friend of mine in Ohio for years. He spoke highly of them many times before parting with them due to ill health.

The pipes were recently stripped and refinished.

This great old set of 1960s Sinclairs is in mint condition. They were originally mounted full ivory. In 1977, the pipes were sent to Sinclair to replace a cracked blowpipe and blowpipe stock. The silver slides were added then. It’s possible the stocks were replaced at that time or the silver was added to the existing stocks. A slightly different finish on the stocks would suggest they were replaced. The stocks and blowpipe have now been refinished to match the pipes.

A matching engraved silver mouthpiece tube was added in 1977, as well as the imitation ivory bulb. The pipes display the unique one-piece ivory caps Sinclair was known for. Close-up photos of the silver below show it to be a lovely and intricate pattern.

The set is virtually perfect now. The ivory is absolutely pristine, as the photos show.

Full, rich, and very steady, Sinclair pipes were the leading modern instrument of the 1960s, and the Edinburgh firm has enjoyed a solid reputation for excellent since its inception in the 1930s under the first William Sinclair.

This is a pretty spectacular set of blackwood Hendersons. The engraved silver and ivory are in nearly pristine condition, and the pipes play beautifully.

The ferrules and caps are hallmarked 1928, and the slides 1929. The stocks are perfect blackwood replacements with the original silver ferrules. There is a barely visible crack in the blowstick just above the projecting mount, so at some point the blowstick was bored out and a thin copper sleeve was inserted.

There have been no repairs to the drones or silver. The ivory bulb has cracked at some point, but the crack was filled and the piece is stable. The bottom bass joint was replaced using the original mounts by Brian Donaldson in 1985.

The Peter Henderson company was, of course the premier pipemaker of the 20th century, perhaps of all time. Their best pipes were made before 1950, and their pre-1930 pipes are the most sought after of all. Their tone is full and rich and they are renown for their remarkable steadiness. This set is no exception.

UPDATE: Since this set was posted, they have been identified as set purchased around 1984 by Brian Donaldson of Inveran Bagpipes from Brigadier MacLennan, the son of D. R. MacLennan, the half-brother of G.S. McLennan. D.R. died that year, and the pipes were his. Donald Ross MacLennan was very prominent piper and piping figure in his own right. He is one of the few players to win the Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness in the same year (1956). You can read his biography here: D. R. MacLennan. Whether these pipes are the same as those in the photo or are the pipes with which he won the Medals with is not yet certain.

This very old set of Hendersons is a mix of cocuswood and blackwood. The two tenor drone bottoms are blackwood, and while makers at this time were known to mix woods, it is possible that these two pieces were later Henderson replacements. Visually, this is indiscernible.

It is thought that the pipes date from between 1900 and around 1910. The ivory shows some spider cracking, none of which threatens the mounts. There is some staining and chipping on the ivory, consistent with a set of pipes that is over 100 years old. The slides are hallmarked silver, added in the mid-1970s.

The Henderson stamp is visible in all the cord slots.

One tenor top and the bass mid-joint had hairline cracking that has been invisible whipped. These repairs are indiscernible.

The blowpipe and blowpipe stock are complete replacments and have been fitted with non-chip imitation ivory.

The tone of this set is outstanding — great Henderson boldness and steadiness. The tuning chambers are very even and the drones are easy to reed, also a Henderson trait.

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This set is an unusual visual misfit, but with an absolutely brilliant tone. I purchased it as an ebony set of unknown make. When the pipes were stripped to be refinished, they were found to be made entirely of very high quality cocuswood.

Not all the pieces or mounts match up externally, yet the overall visual effect is good. The projecting mounts and rings are ivory, the ferrules are nickel, likely added later. There are some chips in the ivory and some small splits in a couple of the ferrules. One of the bass projecting mounts is clearly a retrofit. The bass drone mid-joint had a surface crack which has been invisible whipped. The blowpipe is a new poly stick with the mount that came with the pipes.

Despite outward appearances, this set is tonally superior, very much in the Lawrie tradition:  robust, rich, steady and easy to reed. If you’re looking for an affordable vintage set with a high-end sound, these are your pipes.

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Here is a set of Lawries from the company’s prime, likely from the time when John MacColl managed the pipemaking. The silver is not hallmarked, but the small bead on the ivory and upper profiles suggest very early Lawrie, perhaps even earlier than WW1.

It is difficult to tell what wood has been used since the lacquer finish hides it, but I suspect it is blackwood since the pipes appear to be free of cracks. The ivory has some minor dents, but overall the pipes are in superb shape.

The make of the chanter is unknown, but it plays well and appears fairly modern. The lack of a maker’s name on it suggests it might be a “back-door” item, likely a Sinclair.

The pipes are classic Lawrie: big, bold, steady, and with a velvety richness that permeates the room.

They appear to have lived their life in Scotland, and were played in the Muirhead & Sons band in Grade 1 during the 1960s and, more recently, the Boghall & Bathgate Grade 1 band.

These are classic vintage Lawries at their best.

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If you want a David Glen bagpipe, cocuswood is the way to go. This set is in great shape, and has a vivid “David Glen and Sons, Edinburgh” stamp on the bass drone stock.

The pipes are mounted in ivory, with button projecting mounts. The caps are wood — cocus or ebony. The ivory is in supurb condition.

The drones and stocks are in great shape with no cracks. The blowstick has at some point cracked, but has been sealed and fitted with a copper sleeve. It was bored before the sleeve was installed, so there is no blowing restriction.

The chanter is original and was cracked, but has been completely restored. It plays well, albeit with a 1900 pitch.

Glen pipes are known to be “mellow” — another way of saying quiet. This set isn’t as mellow as some, and the rich buzz Glen gets from his drones makes up for any lack of volume. Glen’s steadiness is legendary. Showing David Glen’s outstanding craftsmanship, this is an outstanding set of pipes, and they sit on your shoulder as light as a feather.

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This set came from the estate of Captain John A. MacLellan in Edinburgh and is a lovely but curious instrument. The sticks are ebony, and the profiles are early Lawrie. The two tenors don’t match exactly. They certainly came out of the same shop, but maybe not quite at the same time. It’s possible at some point in its history, a number of the mounts were replaced, resulting in, for example, ferrules that are not typically Lawrie in design.

As has been noted often on this page, celluloid was a brilliant ivory substitute, complete with a grain and the right hue. The projecting mounts on this set appear to be ivory, as do most if not all of the ferrules. It can be difficult to tell, such is the quality of celluloid as an ivory copy.

It is possible that the chanter stock is a replacement, though the mount is original. The blowstick stock is also a replacement, including the mount.

The projecting mounts were made in two pieces: a method used by early pipemakers in order to save the wider pieces of ivory only for the widest part of the projecting mounts. The seams are visible in the photos, though the joins are solid. This implies an earlier rather than a later date. John MacLellan purchased these pipes from the Glen shop in Edinburgh and was told they were circa 1900.

The tone is rock steady, but not quite as full as the typical Lawrie. It is not a quiet sound by any means, but more toward the MacDougall than the Henderson/Lawrie sound. They may have been custom-bored for a client wanting a more refined sound. The pipes are quite distinctive in appearance and very lightweight to carry.

They are free of cracks and needed no refurbishment.

This is a big, happy set of Hendersons made in 1952 and very well taken care of ever since. They are mounted fully in ivory and have hallmarked, plain silver slides. There are 1952 hallmarks on the plain silver slides.

They were most recently owned by an American serviceman who played them in Iraq for some time before his retirement. He owned them since the early 1980s and originally acquired them from Jim McIntosh in Pittsburgh.

One tenor top appears to be a replacement and does not bear the usual Henderson stamp in the cord guides. The pipes are in superb condition, though they have some slight staining on the ivory here and there.

The sound is classic Henderson. They are very full and very steady and are easily reeded.

They have been refinished.

Bob Hardie was a lovely, quiet, modest man and an icon of 20th-century piping. He was a leading soloist in the 1940s and 1950s, and his band, Muirhead and Sons Ltd., won five straight World Pipe Band Championships in the 1960s. In 1950 he and John Weatherston founded one of the most successful bagpipe making companies of the time. The company continued until 2005, though Bob died in 1990.

This Hardie bagpipe was made in 1956. It is mounted in hand-engraved Sterling silver and ivory. All parts including the chanter are original except the mouthpiece bulb, which is an imitation ivory replacement. The blowpipe had a slight crack but has been glued and sealed.

Hardies were renown for using well seasoned, high quality wood. Even after 55 years, all pieces in this set are straight and true. The finish on the pipes has not been touched except for the bass bottom, which has been refinished to match.

The drones are mellow, steady and easy to reed. The chanter is flatter pitched and a little more difficult to reed becasue of its age, but the Hardie chanter was the chanter for both top bands and soloists during the 1950s and ’60s.

This is the loveliest Hardie instrument I have seen.

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.

SOLD – This is one of the most stunning looking Hendersons to appear on this site, and their tone easily matches their appearance. The wood is African blackwood, mounted in ivory and Sterling silver with a gorgeous relief pattern. The silver hallmark dates the pipes to 1926.

All pieces are original except for the mouthpiece bulb, which is an imitation ivory replica. The original bulb is still with the pipes, though it is cracked.

The set is virtually pristine though hairline cracks in the bass top and bass stock have been invisibly whipped and are indeed invisible.

The pipes play like a dream and even the original chanter plays well, though close to Bb.  If you’ve been waiting for THE set of Hendersons to come around, this is it!

This African blackwood set was made by the R. G. Lawrie company, likely in the 1950s or a bit earlier. The drones are mounted fully in imitation ivory, while the stocks have classic Lawrie nickel ferrules.

All pieces are original except for the blowstick, which is a blackwood mounted replacement. The blowstick stock had a small crack, which has been whipped, almost imperceptibly. The original chanter comes with the pipes — a thick old stick typical of 1940s or 1950s chanters.

Lawrie drones of this ilk in ebony may be one of the most common vintage pipes available today, though it is uncommon to find one so free of major faults. They were likely made in the 1920s, though this dating could vary by a decade either way. The bells, cord guides, projecting mounts and tapered nickel ferrules are classic Lawrie.

This set has been refinished and there is invisible whipping beneath the top three combs of the bass drone stock. A couple of the ferrule tenons showed some slight checking, so these were whipped under the ferrules and will cause no probelms. Blackwood hemp stops were added to all four tuning pins.

–a big Henderson/Lawrie wall of sound. The ebony material provides a level of steadiness and richness unequalled by blackwood of the same era.

This is a stunning set of ebony Lawries from the midst of John MacColl’s career with the company. It displays the classic tapered ferrules and shallow bells typical of the make. They are extremely full, rich and steady.

The previous owner was playing the pipes with hairline cracks in the bass stock, one tenor stock and the bass middle joint — not unusual for ebony pipes of this age. These have been invisible whipped to eliminate future problems.

The R. G. Lawrie company was certainly the equal of Peter Henderson in both tonal and manufacturing quality during the early part of the century. The internal specs of their pipes were virtually identical, they jobbed out to one another, and they shared some of the same turners. Tonally, their pipes are identical, with a big, rich tone and tremendous steadiness.

The number of top players who have won premier prizes with classic Lawries or Hendersons is remarkable.

This set has been refinished.

Here is a very affordable but excellent Lawrie set in ebony, likely made in the 1930s.

It is mounted mostly in nickel, with ebony projecting mounts. The bushes are celluloid, the rest of the caps are very good imitation ivory.

The bass bottom joint is a replica in blackwood. Three of the stocks are ebony replicas. The replica pieces are all perfect matches to the set.

The set is in very good condition and has been refinished.

Lawrie pipes were among the best of the early part of the 20th-century, and this includes mid-range work-a-day sets like this one. This set is superb ebony with ivory projecting mounts and caps, and classic Lawrie tapered nickel ferrules.

It can be difficult to date these models, but the use of high-grade ebony and the ivory patina on this set suggest late 1920s or early 1930s.

These pipes came back to me from a previous customer who purchased them several years ago, has added to his collection and decided it was time to downsize. I don’t have a record of what work was done during refurbishment other than refinishing. The invisible whipping I have done on pipes now is almost imperceptible, but I have gone over these with a fine tooth comb and I can’t find any whipping. The blowpipe stock was cracked when I received the pipes back and that has been invisible whipped and the blowstick bored out.

But for a couple of small age chips, the ivory and wood are all in excellent condition.

The set is bold, rich and steady in the old Lawrie tradition.

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