I suppose many violinists remember the first time they played on or bought a bow by a great maker, these experiences are etched into my memory. Over the decades as violinists we fall into and out of love with both bows and violins, even specific repertoire follows similar routes.

The first two great bows I owned very heavily damaged, but heavenly, for different reasons. They were a Voirin and a Sartory! Here is a small story about them.

The Voirin was late and octagonal, pinned at the head and heavily worn, I bought it for £500 from my then teacher. With Voirin you get fabulous articulation and a brighter sound. I loved this bow! My teacher at the time was at the front of an opera orchestra in London, at the end of the season the company sent down balloons as a festive gesture, my teacher with his Voirin prodded at a balloon, it burst and the force was enough to break the head on his Voirin, hence I could afford it. For a good five years I was content, although owning the Retford bows and bow makers meant that I already had the bug for bows.

Then one day I was in Ealing strings when it was in its hayday chatting to the owner Malcolm Sadler, a kind and intelligent man.

After a while he said ‘ you like bows don’t you’ I said yes, he said would you like to see the Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians Sartory? I said yes, not really knowing what he meant. He came back with two sensational Sartory bows, one Ivory and silver, the other Gold and Tortoiseshell, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of these magnificent bows. After a while he sensed that I was a bit troubled, he said what’s wrong? I explained that I would never own a Sartory and that Retford in his book was a big fan of them. This comment he really liked, you see he knew and was a friend of Retford when he was alive. He seemed touched that a way younger player would have knowledge of Retford.

Malcolm said, ‘just wait there, I shall see what we have’ I sat in a chair wondering what he was doing. After ten minutes he returned with a bow saying, ‘well, it’s very damaged but you can buy it for what we paid since I know you love bows!’ It was a Sartory stick with a big repair in the centre of the stick with new ‘cheeks’ of pernambuco added where a break had been. Also the frog and button were replicas. The price (I have never forgotten his kindness at this) was £902!

Well, I LOVED THAT BOW! it was fantastic, it was just BEAUTIFUL aesthetically, but it had that magical thick deep broad sound that Sartory has. Even though it was thirty years ago I remember it all as if it was yesterday. It was a lucky day I simply explained to Malcolm my love for bows.

Of course eventually a player in a rehearsal offered me a sum of money for that bow, stupidly I accepted her price, I wish I had the bow!

It took me a long time to find another Sartory that was as good, although his build quality is for the most part very good, there are good Sartory bows, and then there are the exceptional ones, those are the ones to keep hold of. Thank you Malcolm for your kindness that day to a young student violinist.