I've had the opposite experience. Most of the pipers I'm acquainted with know who made their pipes, when they were made, and will discuss (at length) why their pipemaker is:
a) Much better than the crap they are making nowadays (Lawrie, Henderson, Starck, Glen);
b)One of the best ever, as good as the old guys (David Naill);
c)One of the best ever, and at that he's underrated (MacLellan);
d)One of the best ever, even if they are made by computer controlled lathes (McCallum);
e) One of the best ever, but they got a bad rap when they started making plastic pipes (Dunbar);
f) God (Atherton).
'A damned ill-conditioned sort of an ape. It had a can of ale at every pot-house on the road, and is reeling drunk. "
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