The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

[OC Richard]

This is one of those Ebay listings that quite possibly could be a wonderful vintage set!!

But with blurry photos and a description by somebody who obviously knows nothing about bagpipes, it's also possible that it's not what it seems.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15470580496...gAAOSwXtthlWyx

First, L&M doesn't make bagpipes. They're a leather firm, who only made the bag. Happily L&M bags are dated so we see 1998 I think, dating when those pipes were being played. Those bags last forever so the pipes might have been played up until recently with that bag.

The projecting mounts on the bagpipes appear to be that-substance-which-must-not-be-named which in itself suggests, but doesn't prove, that the pipes aren't Pakistani. They made, and probably still make, plenty of **** mounted bagpipes in Sialkot, it's just that they don't make it over here to the USA very often, for obvious reasons.

Even if the set is a legitimate quality UK-made instrument (which I think it is) there's nothing to tell us whether it's a fullsize set or a 7/8 size set (which from c1830 to c1940 were called "halfsize" pipes by the Scottish makers, and what we mistakenly call "three-quarter size" pipes today).

In any case I've asked the seller for better photos, and for him/her to peek under the cords and look for a maker's stamp. Also to see if the pipe chanter is stamped.

The W Ross stamp is, I'm fairly certain, on the Practice Chanter. As usual the seller doesn't realise that the bagpipe and the PC are separate instruments. That PC itself is worth a few hundred dollars, I would think.