Brad Dorsey

There is nothing with the number 477 in the book.

I have seen, and had, a number of bows with this type of slide, and I probably have one or two right now in my box of bows that are probably not worth rehairing. All of the bows that I have seen with this are cheap trade bows, and I have never seen one applied as part of a repair.

Jacob: I believe that Hill numbers were preceded by the letter H, which would eliminate Hill as the origin of your number. Other than Hans Nebel, who follows his numbers-stamped-on-fingerboards with an H, I don't what other shops stamped numbers on fingerboards. I think that the vast majority of instrument inventory numbers are found on small paper labels glued inside. An inventory number can be looked up if you know what shop applied it, and if you have access to that shop's records or you can find the right old catalog -- two pretty high hurdles. One place where some old shop inventory numbers can be looked up is Roy Ehrhardt's "Violin Identification and Price Guide, Book 3," which contains reprints of various violin shops' old violin catalogs that were published from 1896 to 1969. But I can tell you that your number (736) does not appear in any of the catalogs reprinted in this book.

He or she called them "wooden spikes / nails." To me, that is wood.

I play a 200-plus year-old German violin with a fake Italian (Storioni) label that my aunt found in her attic in the 1970s and gave me. I am a luthier, and I have taken the top off twice for repairs. I play with a bow that I made in a bow making class at the University of New Hampshire in 2002-2003. It is the only complete bow I have ever made.

Assuming you mean wooden pins and not metal nails, I do as Doug says. I try to cut through the pins with my opening knife, which is sharp enough to cut through them if I push hard enough. And, if the top lifts off leaving the pins in the blocks, I saw them off at the blocks and glue them in the holes in the top.

I have known this teacher for more than 30 years, and I have always thought that she is a bit whacky. But I like her.

You might be able to satisfy your curiosity better by asking on The Fingerboard forum.

I would guess 1920s or 1930s.

When customers ask me how often their bows should be rehaired, I say that it can vary widely. I tell them that many professional players have it done twice a year, but I then admit that I have twice played for 20 years with the same hair. I think the only definite indication of the need for a rehair is many broken hairs.

What would happen if I fell asleep when soaking some dried glue to wash away just before bedtime? Or any other time?

I have no experience with oil varnish.

I don't understand why replacing the hookbar cause you to lose a set of strings. The strings would still be there.

Vaginal birth.

Maybe test a little spot with rotten stone under the chin rest?