Eugene Sartory Violin Bow, Paris circa 1895

This is a beautifully preserved early Sartory violin bow – great to look at, great to play!

Sartory bows enjoy a unique popularity amongst players, dealers and collectors alike. Please do read my article on the subject.

This bow is quite unusual, a very early example made for the violinmaker Emile Germain. Normally the “Germain” stamped bows have plain frogs (here’s a typical example) but this bow pre-dates these by a few years – it has a plain pearl eye, and the head shape is a refined early model with a narrow head, quite reminiscent of JA Lamy (to whom Sartory was apprenticed before going independent).

The stick is of round section orange-brown pernambuco with a random figure, mounts are silver and ebony.

The condition of the bow is near-mint with no visible wear and only the tiniest of dunts and scratches. The lapping is original and beautifully preserved, as is the headplate.

In terms of its playing qualities this bow is quite different to most of Sartory’s later production – it’s a strong stick, more robust than a Lamy but it remains elastic. The sound is big and warm, full and slightly coloured, perfect for tempering the rather nasal quality of many French violins of the period. Articulation is a dream, and in the high register the bow produces a lot of sound that’s broad, complex and musical.

This bow weighs in at 58 grams, but that’s on account of the tinsel lapping – there’s nothing light or weedy about it, and it will belt out Shostakovich as well as any Sartory.

For me this is the best kind of Sartory, and it’s a pleasure to be able to offer it.