Eugene Sartory Violin Bow, Paris circa 1935

This is a very fine violin bow by Eugene Sartory, the most revered of 20th century French makers. It’s in excellent condition and plays beautifully.

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

This example is quite late – Bernard Millant dates it around 1935-40 – but whereas many of the later bows are clunky, stiff, and only good for Bártok, this bow feels elegant and classy.

The stick is of gold-brown pernambuco with a typical random figure, mounts are silver and ebony.

The condition is generally excellent with some minor signs of use – a tiny bit of wear to the top facet of the handle and the thumb projection, a very small chip to the bottom surface of the frog and a few small nibbles to the top of the stick. But overall this is a beautifully presented musician’s bow that’s been well looked after.

In terms of playability, this is what everyone looks for in a Sartory – a big rounded sound with plenty of sparkle, and a robust but flexible stick. There’s the familiar sense of security which you get from a Sartory – excellent tracking, very litle lateral deviation in the stick, good contact and a satisfying degree of crunch. But there’s a bit of extra something here – it’s very easy to create a good sound, playing off the string seems effortless, everything about this bow supports the player’s intention.