Voirin was William Retford's favourite maker from a craftmanship point of view, especially so the octagonal form.  This is a first class example with the stick possessing a real flair and not a little artistry.  The head is tremendously strong with an elegance and a height that you see in his very best bows.  Having owned a number of these octagonal Voirins it is interesting that he sourced most of these bows from the same log of pernambuco; he must have really rated this log since for lower class bows he did not use it.  This bow maker easily makes my personal top five.  A master craftsman, he died at the age of 52 whilst cycling to deliver some bows to a Parisienne dealer.  Due to the relative scarecity of this makers top class bows I only deal in one Voirin per year, it is always a sadness to see them go!

 

 

 

All Voirin's bows have a unique feel and balance and are highly addictive!  Many fine players have spent significant parts of their career playing on a fine Voirin.  Menuhin, Stern, Ysaye and Sarasate all had one or two to play on.  I have played on many bows throughout my playing career but am most contented when I have a Voirin in my case for really stressful concerts.  You feel as if a fine Voirin is like a magic wand enabling you to tackle the trickiest of passages with ease.  I am immensely fond of this maker's ouput; I feel that he had the musician's needs foremost in his mind and achieved the near perfect bow.  It is important to realise that at 60 grams this is somewhat of a rarity since many of his output tends to be a little on the light side, heavier bows like this one are highly prized by players. 

 

 

 

The head has been saved from a spline by binding over a crack with thread, although not aestheticaly the most desired repair it does secure the very delicate nature of the stick near the head. The stick is otherwise in lovely condition.  The heel is especially clean given its age and is a typical example of his best work.  It is a sensational bow made less expensive due to the repair.  It would be my wish that this very special bow goes to a good home where its many qualities could be admired.