There is little doubt, given the passage of time, that after the death of Eugene Sartory in 1946 the mantle of greatest living bow maker fell upon two very different personalities, Emile Auguste Ouchard and the reclusive Jean-Jacques Millant. In 1997, one year before Millant's death the renowned British bow maker Michael Taylor and the American bow collector Sidney Bowden paid him a visit at his shop in Paris.

Jean-Jacques was a short, ruggedly built man of about five feet seven inches high. Upon meeting him he came across very much as a person from the country, not for him any Parisienne pretentiousness! Indeed, in Michael Taylor's view, this down to earth, straightforward character came as a real surprise and a breath of fresh air.

Upon entering the the shop there was a small lobby area. On the left, further in, was his very small workshop. Very 'old school' and with none of the large machinery one might expect today.

When our two intrepid explorers arrived, Jean-Jacques was just about to go fishing (doesn't this remind you of Francois Xavier Tourte who upon finishing his work for the day went fishing in the Seine?)  But when meeting Michael and Sidney he greeted them with a broad smile; imbued with a sunny nature he was kind to his guests.

Dotted around the workshop were also many paintings Jean-Jacques had done, all stacked leaning against the walls and covered in dust. Also a great deal of old fishing tackle and rods, nothing clean or new. It was clear to our guests that Jean-Jacques was actually keener to talk about fishing than the finer points of bow making!

Some makers spend a great deal of time speaking up their bows, others simply let their bows speak for themselves. Jean-Jacques clearly put an exceptional amount of thought into his bow making, whilst pretending to the world it was the last thing on his mind.  His comments on the bows of Dominique Peccatte in the Paul Childs book are proof of his deep thought processes regarding fine bows. Lucky, indeed, is the person who owns one of this great master's bows.