A Fine DURRO Violin Bow Imported by Samuel Buegeleisen– Etched Sterling Silver circa 1895-1904 – CURRENTLY OUT ON TRIAL –

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I love doing research and writing on the instruments and bows we restore here at the shop. I spent way too many hours with my nose in books and calling other makers to try to determine and identify. My home growing up was in the New York/New Jersey area. With close to eight million people in that area and well before “Antiques Road Show” My dad and I gathered quite a collection of instruments and bows with no help from cell phones or computers. With a decade of collecting, we gathered hundreds of violins and violas and over 800 very decent bows. Sometimes 3 or 4 bows at a time gathered dust with ravaged hair in a nice case. This bow has been asleep in a box close to 45 years. No longer!

Samuel Buegeleisen (1871-1957) and David Jacobson (1869-1904) worked for Tonks Bros. Co. in Chicago before going into business together in the 1890’s, establishing themselves in New York City in 1901. Jacobson passed away soon after in 1904, leaving Buegeleisen as the sole owner of what would become one of the largest musical import businesses of the early 20th century. Durro was a name used by Buegeleisen & Jacobson in New York; they were the importers of the Salvadore de Durro violins in the early 20th century. This is no trade bow; it is a fully handmade gem, imported bow from Germany making its way to America. A very nice stick and of supreme merit.

The bow is in excellent condition. We have gone over the bow completely, replacing the sterling silver winding, giving it new leathers, a new facial tip in tip armor, and thoroughly cleaning the bow with my own formula of 90 proof alcohol mixed with simple green and turpentine solvent. This stick was totally black with layers of dirt and grime before we started. The cleaning was done first before the jewelry and the tip restoration. The cleaning revealed the gorgeous orange/brown color of the pernambuco. The pernambuco stick is flawless, the color pops, and it is firm in its playability. The bow is mounted in sterling silver and the etchings in the frog silver help this bow stand out even more. It is a Wow! and handles well. The bow feels light and controllable in the hand and yes, I love this bow. The pearl slide has green, pink, and blue hues like a background canvas used in photo work. The stick is round in section, and the frog is exquisite with pin work in the lining and in the heel. The frog is rounded in its makeup but is definitely not a viola bow. The old-world German craftsmanship is flawless on this one hundred twenty-five-plus- years-old bow. The stick has firmness, delicate strength in its engineering, beautiful gram weight, and the maker went the 10 extra miles on the frog. My reasoning is that the wood choice was a tremendous piece. A beautiful handmade stick for the price.

Weight fully haired 60.1 grams