Vuillaume bow question

[AMORI]

I recently got a rather nice violin in for restoration. It does not really need much work except cleaning* and a general

set-up, new accessories and the like. There are no cracks and in good all-round condition.

But the bow is interesting, it is stamped Vuillaume and may or not be the real thing. This guy's grandpa used to

play on ships around the 1920's and since then it has been left under tension and as a result it is rather skew, in

both directions. Can bows like this be restored? And would it have any value in that condition?

* Almost the entire front is caked with black grime. Not the usual area just around the bridge, almost the whole front.

I assume it has something to do with being at sea for a number of years. Do you know what is the best method of

cleaning such old grime?

[fiddlecollector]

I recently got a rather nice violin in for restoration. It does not really need much work except cleaning* and a general

set-up, new accessories and the like. There are no cracks and in good all-round condition.

But the bow is interesting, it is stamped Vuillaume and may or not be the real thing. This guy's grandpa used to

play on ships around the 1920's and since then it has been left under tension and as a result it is rather skew, in

both directions. Can bows like this be restored? And would it have any value in that condition?

* Almost the entire front is caked with black grime. Not the usual area just around the bridge, almost the whole front.

I assume it has something to do with being at sea for a number of years. Do you know what is the best method of

cleaning such old grime?

Do you have any photos of the bow and instrument. Bows like this can be fixed by a bowmaker /restorer.Vuillaume bows are usually stamped Vuillaume a Paris ,though not always and there are thousand of cheap nasty bows stamped Vuillaume.I had a violin from a similar source which was rather nice , from a violinist who worked on the White Star line which operated out of Southampton usually to South America via Capetown.

The black gunge can be reoved also but the method depends on what the varnish type is. Also some instruments were made with fake black dirt/shading on them.Often some 19th century French violins have this .

[AMORI]

I can't tell what varnish was used. To all intents and purposes, it looks no different to 100 other violins I've seen that were oil varnished. I tried my nail on a corner and it seemed to come away okay. Clearly I can't scratch it all off - can I?

[Jayfez]

I recently got a rather nice violin in for restoration. It does not really need much work except cleaning* and a general

set-up, new accessories and the like. There are no cracks and in good all-round condition.

But the bow is interesting, it is stamped Vuillaume and may or not be the real thing. This guy's grandpa used to

play on ships around the 1920's and since then it has been left under tension and as a result it is rather skew, in

both directions. Can bows like this be restored? And would it have any value in that condition?

* Almost the entire front is caked with black grime. Not the usual area just around the bridge, almost the whole front.

I assume it has something to do with being at sea for a number of years. Do you know what is the best method of

cleaning such old grime?

Maybe it's just me but your question seems odd. You have someones rather nice violin for restoration but you don't know how to restore it so I'm wondering why you took it in for restoration? If you own the instrument it doesn't matter but with someone elses you put yourself an a bit of a precarious position.

[welshman]

you will need to judge the bows quality to determine if it is worth the expense of recambering and straightening - the cheap bows i do myself but the good ones i send to my bow maker friend, they usually cost between 60 to 100 for that part of the job. twists or kinks are the most difficult to do and cost more.

If the violin is covered with a layer of black that is not decorative varnish antiquing then it could be just a layer of rosin and dirt that has oxidized. In these situtaions i layer on a thick coat of gojo hand cleaner and let it sit for a short time, check to see if it is softening the grime, wait more if needed and then wipe off with a paper towel, repeat as needed. the hand cleaner is thick enough to sit in place but is just emulified mineral oil that will clean up with water. you can try that in a small place to start. elbow grease with the paper towel is sometimes needed for the resistant spots.

Reese