Opinion is definitely divided on this bow regarding attribution.  It also wins the award for the bow with the most restorations!  Made of the best quality pernambuco this bow caught my eye simply because of the sweep of the stick.  Taken as a whole the bow radiates power and quality.  The confusion over attribution is really down to the Sartory stamp.  The stamp on this bow is thin and of the type he used when he first began making on his own circa 1890.  My feeling is that the stick up to the splice is indeed an early Sartory.  The measurements along the stick would suggest this.

This is the reason I believe that this bow is indeed a genuine Sartory.  Most of the great makers have their own personal feel from a playing point of view and this is especially so when it comes to Sartory.  You get a certain quality of sound when you play on this master's bows.  These qualities cannot be faked and this bow possesses all the hallmarks one would expect from a fine Sartory stick.

In many ways I feel quite protective towards this bow since the repairs are numerous!  It should however be borne in mind that five sixths of a Sartory stick (missing its head and with no heel) recently sold in auction for £1400!  The head is spliced and the frog and button are not by Sartory.  Furthermore there is damage to the stick on the handle that has been repaired.  So there we have it: the most damaged bow of the collection but one of the best when it comes to playing.  The obvious question here is why would anyone go to the lengths they have to restore this bow if it is not genuine?  There is a tendency by some of the main dealers' shops to look down upon bows if they are restored.  This is a great pity because they sometimes miss the point: players want great playing sticks, not necessarily mint condition bows.