This is a very good early Sartory violin bow with a replaced button – the condition is good and the stick is outstanding.
Eugene Sartory is probably the most popular bow-maker of all time – we regularly sell his bows and we always keep a few in stock. Here’s an article we wrote about him, and about his extraordinary success.
This bow isn’t a collectable – it’s a genuine musician’s bow. The condition is very good but not pristine, and the button is a replacement. Made for and branded “HC Silvestre a Paris” in around 1895 during Sartory’s first years as an independent maker, it’s a classic example of his early style – frog with a plain pearl eye, an elegant and nimble stick, and a graceful and somewhat pared down “upright” head.
The stick is of round section orange-brown pernambuco of excellent quality, subtly flamed – there’s a small knot in the upper third of the stick, surprisingly common in Sartorys of this period. Mounts are silver and ebony.
The overall condition is very good – the handle and the thumb projection of the frog have some light wear, there’s a bit of thumbnail wear, and the top rail of the frog on the player’s side is a bit nibbled.
Before 1900 Sartory was still working towwards what became his house style, and we see a certain amount of experimentation. However, pretty much everyone who loves Sartory favours the best bows from this period.
This is quite a light bow but the sound is full, clear and projecting. The stick is great – lots of attack, an easy off the string response, and an elegant and smooth legato. It’s a bow which oozes class – precise yet rounded, and somehow able to bring more meaning to the note.
