The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

[WalesLax]

First is a vintage Lawrie set "refurbished by Dunbar". For those not aware, the further you go back the more alike Lawries and Hendersons become, both in look and sound. Early Lawries like this one will be fine-playing professional instruments. Looks like Rick Pettigrew at Dunbar Bagpipes removed the original mounts (probably Catalin) and replaced them with the very strong and durable imitation ivory that Dunbar has used for many years.

This set has a minimum, it has already cycled through without reaching it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bagpipes/11...QAAOSwltBgDGR2

I was watching this set that you had pointed out, and saw one of the more frustrating things that happens on eBay from time to time.... the auction ended, reserve was met, the seller decided it wasn't enough, so they re-listed the item.

I simply don't get how people are able to get away with that.

Rob

[OC Richard]

Here's another Kintail from the 2000's, I have no experience with Kintails of that period.

They're gorgeous pipes, looking like a full-silver set, but nickel. AFAIK these "engraved nickel" Kintails weren't actually engraved, but had the design rolled and/or stamped onto the mounts. Kintail did a large number of these sets both in nickel and brass. A Kintail with "engraved" brass mounts is a beautiful thing to see, when the brass is polished and the pipes look like gleaming gold.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kintail-200...AAAOSw7C1gICwJ

This closes in a couple hours, no bids. I think the price is terrific for a set like this, unless Kintails from the 2000s are known/said to be subpar. I don't know.

I would worry about how heavy these pipes are. The vintage full-silver sets (1880s-1930s) that I've seen and held have had projecting mounts fabricated out of sheet silver, hollow, so that these sets aren't much heavier than any other set.

But Naill makes their full-silver sets with heavy cast-silver projecting mounts, and there's no way I would want one of those sets on my shoulder.

I don't know how these Kintail projecting mounts were made.

[OC Richard]

Here's a great pickup for somebody: 1970s Grainger & Campbells for $525 Buy It Now.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970s-Grain...wAAOSw~xRgKZOQ

My old Pipe Major played G&Cs from around that period, silver & ivory, which had a wonderful tone.

Poly Dunbars for a $400-odd Buy It Now, great-sounding backup pipes/parade pipes for somebody.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunbar-P1-P...kAAOSwZylgK0NO

Here, near the beach in Southern California, every guitarist has their "beach guitar". A beach guitar is a good-sounding good-playing guitar that's seen better days, perhaps the finish is trashed, and you don't care if it gets bashed a bit. It's the guitar you take to the beach, when everybody sits around the fire and sings Beatles songs.

Likewise pipers have "beach pipes" which is the equivalent of "parade pipes", pipes that sound good but can take a beating. Poly Dunbars are perfect beach pipes.

In any case, here are some nice Naills with an incredibly low current bid, but it's one of those "reserve not met" things that I find annoying, because the seller has a price in mind but doesn't share what it is. The seller also doesn't have much history.

There's a loose mount and they've put electrical tape around the mouthpiece. Neither of these things bother me- it's easy to put mounts on tight, and I'm going to use my own blowpipe anyhow.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DN2-Bagpipe...AAAOSwu7RgK0rz

[OC Richard]

These came up this morning and I did a Buy It Now.

They're Kintails stamped 1981. My Pipe Major plays silver & ivory Kintails from the mid-1980s and they're amazing pipes.



I love that they have the bling, but with imitation ivory, so are fully legal.

[Grump]

Nice pipes. The tarnish on the slides suggest silver? or are they aged nickel? What were they using for drones and did they come with a chanter?

[OC Richard]

Nice pipes. The tarnish on the slides suggest silver? or are they aged nickel? What were they using for drones and did they come with a chanter?

The mounts are EPNS which is "electro-plated Nickel Silver".

In plain English the mounts are solid Nickel Silver/German Silver/Cupro-Nickel (which was the most common metal for Highland pipes, buckles, cantles, dirk mounts, etc from c1840 through c1940) then Silver plated.

It was common for pipes in the old days, makers like R G Lawrie offered bagpipes in plain or engraved German Silver, silver plate, and Sterling Silver. Here's a c1905 R G Lawrie set in Ebony, Ivory, and engraved German Silver. It looks identical to silver & ivory Lawries of that period save for the lack of hallmarks on the mounts.



Kintail pipes were African Blackwood.

Unlike most makers, Kintail not only stamped their name but also the date on their pipes. Multiple Kintails I've heard from the 1980s have been extremely nice in tone, and I expect this set to be like that. The bass drone in particular should be rich and powerful.

Here's a silver & ivory set of Kintails from 1984, a superb-sounding set played by my Pipe Major



The chanter coming with the Ebay set looks rather more modern than the pipes themselves. We shall see!

As a bonus there's a polypenco Practice Chanter.

About current Ebay offerings, the bidding is going up on this Gillanders set, which started very low. Back in the 1980s a band-mate played silver & ivory Gillanders which were amazing in tone.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-McL...p2056016.l4276

[Grump]

Thanks for the info it's all very interesting. Im sure there are a few of us who cant wait to hear the rest of the story. Wonder what they are like to blow, always a consideration for aging pipers.

[imrichmond]

About current Ebay offerings, the bidding is going up on this Gillanders set, which started very low. Back in the 1980s a band-mate played silver & ivory Gillanders which were amazing in tone.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-McL...p2056016.l4276

It looks as though someone could get a real bargain with these Gillanders & McLeods. If I didn't already have two sets of 1970s G & Ms I would be tempted to bid on them myself. I love the tone of G & Ms.