The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

[OC Richard]

Really low $400 opening bid on catalin Grainger & Campbell set.

Pipers may scoff at pipes like this but my old Pipe Major played a silver & ivory set that had identical profiles projecting mounts etc and that set always got high marks for tone by judges.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16555055926...oAAOSwpbFiucT5

[OC Richard]

This set is probably made by either Sinclair (Leith) or Hugh MacPherson (Edinburgh).

Due to both makes oftentimes being made by the same men they can be difficult to tell apart.

I messaged the seller asking to include a photo of the drone tops.

For a Sinclair set this is a great price, and I wonder where it will go.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/37416455403...QAAOSwSONiwvF2

From what I read, William Sinclair opened in 1931, though some say 1933. The pipes were classic big-bore pipes with a big sound.

In 1946 Hugh MacPherson (a Highland clothier in Edinburgh) began selling Sinclair pipes stamped "Sinclair-MacPherson".

I'm told that in 1947 the drone bores narrowed, a common thing with post-war pipes as we know.

In 1957 Sinclair was sold to MacPherson, and Sinclair employees William Sinclair Jr, Willie Bryson, Jimmy Tweedie, and Jimmy Frame all went to work for MacPherson. The pipes were now stamped MacPherson Edinburgh.

In 1962 Sinclair reopened his own business will all new narrow-bore tooling. Bryson and Tweedie remain at MacPherson.

In 1965 Tweedie returns to Sinclair.

Around 1995 Sinclair widens drone bores.

So as you see much depends on when and where the pipes were made, and by which turner.

[OC Richard]

One of those "grab some popcorn" pipes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/29508737663...Bk9SR_auls-9YA

They look uncannily like an old set of Lawries I used to own.

I don't see hallmarks on this Ebay set, just as there weren't any on my Lawries. The reason being that the mounts weren't Sterling Silver, but were "German silver" or nickel-silver or cupro-nickel.

The thistle pattern is the typical Lawrie pattern. The Pipe Major of a band here, who is a silversmith by profession, told me that those Lawrie mounts weren't engraved but impressed into the metal by a roller.

I don't know nearly as much about Henderson pipes as I do Lawries, and for all I know Henderson did those same mounts.

BTW this seller does the typical Ebay seller thing of providing numerous photos of the drones all taken from the same angle. There have been many times when I've pointed this out to a seller and asked them for an end-on photo of the tops of the drones.

UPDATE:

I advised the seller to provide measurements, and informed him that pipes were made in various sizes, one size just slightly smaller than fullsize. I didn't want him to have a disappointed buyer if the pipes were 3/4 size (which are actually just a bit smaller than fullsize).

He did, they're a fullsize set, and the bidding has got to around $1,500.

It's quite possible that these could go in the $3,000 range.

UPDATE: Yes indeed they went for a bit over $3,500.

[WalesLax]

For all of your entertainment, I wanted to share what is evidently the greatest pipe-bag ever created....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/163185492421?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110 006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200 818142401%26meid%3D9ff257fb548949f1a90ddd539d33345 9%26pid%3D101124%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D265708 536111%26itm%3D163185492421%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26 pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2 563228.c101124.m2109

....based on the 3k GBP price tag, which I thought might have been a mis-type, before noticing that 173 have already sold! It's probably still just a mis-type.

[WalesLax]

I also came across this set on eBay.... https://www.ebay.com/itm/29514089589...oAAOSwN89i7uur

I'm mostly looking to learn from the group - to me, this looks like a cheap set of pipes, particularly because of the color, the color of the wood under some of the wear-spots I think I see, the cords that may be nice but have a 'knock-off feel' to me, the color of the metal, and the pattern on it, which looks similar to so many cheap, knock off pipes I see.

I was surprised to see seven bids so far though, so from a learning perspective, I am curious of what you all thing, and curious to learn what I may have missed.

I did e-mail the seller, but am not expecting much, as they are a mass-selling Goodwill.

Thank you all,

Rob

[Rama4390]

I also came across this set on eBay.... https://www.ebay.com/itm/29514089589...oAAOSwN89i7uur

I'm mostly looking to learn from the group - to me, this looks like a cheap set of pipes, particularly because of the color, the color of the wood under some of the wear-spots I think I see, the cords that may be nice but have a 'knock-off feel' to me, the color of the metal, and the pattern on it, which looks similar to so many cheap, knock off pipes I see.

I was surprised to see seven bids so far though, so from a learning perspective, I am curious of what you all thing, and curious to learn what I may have missed.

I did e-mail the seller, but am not expecting much, as they are a mass-selling Goodwill.

Thank you all,

Rob

The school band I was in 25 years ago bought a couple of sets of Pakistani pipes & they looked just like the ones you posted. In my mind, I can still smell the scent of the wood they were made from.

To be fair, those pipes by the time they were completely re-fitted with new bags, reeds, chords, covers & hemp were quite serviceable for beginners in a large band.

Cheers,
Luke.

[OC Richard]

WalesLax those are Pakistani 100%.

I just can't see the point in getting something like that when nice legit Scottish-made pipes are seen fairly often for around $500.

The last thing I would want to do is saddle a beginner with a set that is extremely touchy and difficult to get sound out of, and when you do it's not much of a sound.

EDIT: just checked and the lowest-priced quality Scottish made set on Ebay at the moment is this one

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16561784151...YAAOSwIsRi8W37