pictures of my pipes

[OC Richard]

These are the pipes I play every day, old Lawries. They are ebony mounted in ivory and German Silver.

Just yesterday I was looking at the old Lawrie sets seen on Ringo Bowen's site, and inspired by the clear photos, I decided to take some shots like those. I'm going to send these pics to Ringo for him to use if he wants.

In looking over the old Lawries that Ringo shows, I think mine most resemble a couple of the sets on his 1900-1920 group. What do you think?

Here's Ringo's Bagpipe Place Museum page on 1900-1920 Lawries

http://www.thebagpipeplace.com/Lawrie_1900-1920.html

and here are my pipes













I think my pipes look a lot like a couple of Ringo's sets, these two in particular; first here's my pipes



and now one of the sets Ringo shows



and another set; this one has the beading arrangement on the tenor tops very much like my set

[crash]

Great pictures Richard. Judging by the pictures I'd say your pipes are more ornate than those of Ringo's. Even the tuning pins on yours are engraved. The ivory on Ringo's looks quite a bit more yellow. Is that from age or just the nature of the ivory? I have been told the silver makes a stand of pipes pretty heavy, do you find it noticeable? I have late 1960's RG Hardies with catalin mounts, I quite like the orange hue but then what else could I say.lol

[OC Richard]

About the weight of silver, a number of years ago a piper friend of mine took all the silver off his silver & ivory set and weighed the silver and it didn't amount to much, almost negligible compared to the weight of the entire set of pipes. I can't remember how many ounces.

Most of the weight comes from the amount of wood. Old Robertson pipes had very thick wood and they weigh a ton. Old Grainger pipes are nearly as heavy, having the combination of thick outside dimensions and narrow internal bores.

My Lawrie pipes have slender outside dimensions and large internal bores and therefore have less wood than most modern pipes, making these Lawries very light, the lightest pipes I've ever owned.

[Blupiper]

Lovely pipes, Richard. I have always wondered about silver on pipes and what the weight contribution from the metal is. In the past, I have hefted any number of sets of pipes, some mounted or half-mounted with silver and some not. It always seemed to me that the mounted pipes were heavier. Is that only perception? From what you say, the weight of the silver is negligible. Perhaps it's the brain, telling me that the set is heavier, when in fact it isn't. For reference, I have a set of Atherton pipes from 2010, with nickel ferrules and mounted with artificial ivory (aka plastic.)

JMB

[Jack Daw]

You have a beautiful stand, Richard. The thistle engraving in the silver ferrules and pins is a clear match. I'm jealous.

[creagdhubh]

Gorgeous pipes, Richard! I'm sure the sound that comes from the drones and chanter is even better!

Cheers,

[denmcdough]

Richard, nice pipes. I'd love to seem them in person. Will you be coming to the Highland games in WVA this year? I'd like to hook up again.

Dennis

[OC Richard]

Thanks guys!

These pipes play great, the best pipe I've had, now in my 40th year piping. You can't get a bad strike-in if you try, the tone is huge and bold yet refined, they stay in tune, and they're light on the shoulder.

Ringo Bowen said that based on the one photo I sent him that these probably are from that 1900-1920 period. He said he'd be happy to include them on his site, and just now I've sent him the whole group of photos.

Dennis, I'm doing something a bit differently this year, going back to WV a bit later in May, and driving out to the Colonial Highland Games in Fair Hill Maryland on May 17th. I've never been to those Games, the largest pipe band contest in that area, and I'm very much looking forward to it.