Should I Re-Cut This Bow Head?

[Brad Dorsey]

I recently acquired what appears to be a nicely made pernambuco viola bow (stick only) with a butt-ugly head.  The shape of the outer end lacks grace, and the chamfers are crudely cut with uneven widths and coarse file marks.  Re-cutting the head so that I can stand to look at it, and also replacing the face plate, would make an interesting little project.  The only thing that makes me hesitate is my nagging fear that this ugly head might be the signature of some maker whose work I should not defile.  The stick bears no stamps.

Should I re-cut this bow head?

 

 

 

 

 

[jacobsaunders]

I’m sure you could fit a far more elegant face plate, otherwise I wouldn’t advocate anything else. Is “butt-ugly” an American coin of phrase?

[Michael Darnton]

Can't speak to this bow, but a friend of mine was ordered by the owner to remove an non-existent 1600s Cremonese maker's (from a good family) label from an instrument and refused. Several years later that maker was rediscovered and that instrument was one of only three or four by him currently known. So be careful.

I say just replace the headplate.

[GeorgeH]

It looks to me like the head was already vandalized by the person who replaced the tip plate.

[Brad Dorsey]

52 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

...Is “butt-ugly” an American coin of phrase?

Yes, but I think it would be a good addition to your arsenal.

[Brad Dorsey]

On 3/10/2023 at 9:27 AM, GeorgeH said:

It looks to me like the head was already vandalized by the person who replaced the tip plate.

Maybe, but I don't see any obvious signs that it is a replacement.  The crudity of the plate matches the "butt-ugliness" of the rest of the head, which suggests that it is original.

[Blank face]

The question is IMO what is motivating you, to sell it as something what it isn't?From an aesthetical pov, it's so crude that it even starts to look attractive in my eyes.

[nathan slobodkin]

27 minutes ago, Brad Dorsey said:

Yes, but I think it would be a good addition to your arsenal.

[Bill Yacey]

Any material removal will weaken the head, and change the balance. Arguably, the balance can be manipulated with the plate, but I would still be hesitant to be attacking the wood.

[Shelbow]

I don't see the issue with it, I've seen much worse! Usually on my own bench 

[jacobsaunders]

2 hours ago, jacobsaunders said:

 Is “butt-ugly” an American coin of phrase?

 

1 hour ago, Brad Dorsey said:

Yes, but I think it would be a good addition to your arsenal.

I don’t dare send David a picture of my butt, lest he were to pin it on his workshop wall

[David Burgess]

44 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

 

I don’t dare send David a picture of my butt, lest he were to pin it on his workshop wall

Dream on.

[Jwillis]

2 hours ago, Blank face said:

The question is IMO what is motivating you, to sell it as something what it isn't?From an aesthetical pov, it's so crude that it even starts to look attractive in my eyes.

It very well might have been something that came from the Salustri shop;) 

[Barry J. Griffiths]

I’d be tempted to either send a slew of photos or the bow itself to someone like Paul Childs and see if it rings any bells with him. I’d hate for you to miss something about the bow, alter the head and ultimately devalue the darn thing.

[Blank face]

With a bit of fantasy one could imagine that the head shape is a bit similar to a Schramm or something like the older South German made bows, but this would mean that it should be older than 1850, what appears to be unlikely here. From what I know these heads can have a somehow crude shape like here, but the details of workmanship like the chamfers are more neat. Anyway, I can't see any possible improvement by overworking/reshaping it. Either one likes it as it is or should take a different bow.

[match]

As Jacob said, with a decent face plate the head wouldn't look so strange.

 

[martin swan]

Sorry I can't understand why you would want to recut a bow head.

If you don't like it, who knows if your taste is the same as someone else's? And how sure are you that it's not a Gaulard?

If it's genuinely no good, no amount of modification will make it better.

 

[Brad Dorsey]

I thank everyone for your responses.  I have decided to replace the face plate and otherwise leave the head as it came to me.

[Nick Allen]

You could even do some fill near the tip. Extend it slightly behind the tip nub to help transition into the tip more gracefully. 

[Strad O Various Jr.]

Vandalism is never a good idea for violin and bow restoration

[Brad Dorsey]

7 hours ago, Nick Allen said:

You could even do some fill near the tip. Extend it slightly behind the tip nub to help transition into the tip more gracefully. 

I plan to do that.

[MeyerFittings]

On 3/10/2023 at 9:49 AM, David Burgess said:

Dream on.

As true americana, Do we need to mention the notion "coyote ugly"? 

[Pate Bliss]

On 3/11/2023 at 2:41 PM, match said:

with a decent face plate the head wouldn't look so strange.

Mad skillz.

[Pate Bliss]

On 3/11/2023 at 3:02 PM, martin swan said:

Sorry I can't understand why you would want to recut a bow head.

Conform or die

[David Burgess]

11 hours ago, MeyerFittings said:

As true americana, Do we need to mention the notion "coyote ugly"? 

There's also the expression, "double-bagger"....