Eugene Sartory Violin Bow, Paris circa 1910

Another very fine Sartory violin bow from around 1910, regarded by many as this maker’s best period. It’s in top condition and the sound is unusually good (even for a Sartory).

No need to sing the praises of Sartory bows here – they are perennially popular with musicians and collectors alike, and they have become the standard by which all other 20th century bows are measured.

Here we have a very straight ahead example from around 1910 – in this period Sartory’s bows are always perfectly judged, with this great combination of elegance and muscularity. The heads are still pared back and graceful, with echoes of JA Lamy, but the top third of the stick is quite fat in cross-section, which allows the cheeks to be both full and flat.

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

The bow is in excellent condition and retains its original ivory face – there’s very little evidence of use other than a slight rounding to the top facet angles.

In this period we find some of the best Sartorys from a musician’s point of view. This bow is supple enough to pull a great sound, but still strong enough for a modern playing technique. It’s quite light but perfectly balanced and the sound oozes out without any obvious effort.

The tone is warm, full spectrum, slightly grainy, and with great attack.

Probably not the right bow for some conservatoire slugger, but a great choice for a player looking for nuance and range of expression.