In 1972 a violin dealer - lets call him Albert – was walking around the historic city of York when he saw a busker playing the violin. Every now and then the busker tried to flip coins given from the floor into his violin case using his bow! At that moment Albert realised the bow was no ordinary bow. He approached the player and asked him if he would like to sell his bow, offering him £50. When the busker refused Albert told him that he would go for a coffee next to where he was playing – if he changed his mind he knew where to find him. After thirty minutes the busker entered the coffee shop and left with £50 – Albert had his Sartory.
Albert was delighted with his buy and told some of his dealer friends but in truth it was no big deal for him, he had many fine bows and this was just another to add to the stock. Some years later a young violinist asked if he could come round to try some Sartory bows. As the violinist tried bows Albert played a little game, he gave the player a succession of reasonable but not special violins. The violinist soon tired of giving appraisals of the instruments so that when he gave him the sixth violin the player just feigned vague interest in it. Albert listened to the player and then said, “Don’t you like my Stradivari? ” Players should always have their wits about them, even when trying bows! The player took a Sartory home – the one Albert had bought from the busker. The bow had damage but it played well and the young violinist liked it, and although it was well into four figures he bought it.
Some time later the player visited a friend with his violin and stayed for a week or two. One morning he came downstairs to find the front door open. He went into the lounge to find his violin had been stolen! The lovely Sartory had gone – time to phone the police. Life moved on and the player bought another violin and bow but thought a great deal about the Sartory. Then one day many months later the police phoned. They had found the violin and the bows all in their case! The thief had exchanged the violin case with its contents for some drugs, and the new owner had taken the lot to a violin shop in London and asked how much it was worth - the violin was a Pedrazzini plus two Sartorys and a gold and tortoiseshell Voirin. The shop owner asked the person to leave the things with him for valuation and to return at three, at which time the police were waiting and he was arrested.
The violin and bows were returned to the player via the insurance agent Allianz, but though delighted he decided to keep only the Voirin and the Sartory he had bought from Albert. After some time he decided to have the Sartory restored by one of this country’s leading restorers. When it returned the damage that had always scarred the bow had gone and indeed the restoration was impossible to see. Our violinist had by this time changed allegiance to another bow and decided to sell the Sartory in one of London’s finest violin shops. He asked their advice about price, they suggested a figure and it went on sale. Within three days it was sold for £3200. The bow is now being played by the leader of one of Britain’s foremost quartets, who has no idea of its colourful past. If these bows could speak what stories they would tell!
How do I know so much about this bow? I was the violinist who bought it from Albert!