
Tip Repairs!
We see bows needing tip repairs and replacements with fair frequency here, and feel that it is an important topic to discuss.
Bow tips are both very aesthetically pleasing and also very susceptible to damage. Whether it’s from a mild bump on a music stand, not being fully clipped into a case, or whacking it on a ceiling or wall from an enthusiastic up bow, bow tips can break with relatively little force.
While the area involved is very small, and might therefore seem like an easy and inexpensive fix, mending a broken tip is actually a pretty major repair. A bow can sustain more damage during a tip repair due to the complex nature of the fix and the skill and experience required to perform the task..Each tip repair is different depending on the type (break, crack, or fully missing part), and area (beak, tip plate) of damage. To clarify, we’re not talking about a broken throat or head spline- we can cover how that works in another newsletter!

Every repair requires research into the original maker of the bow and their particular approaches to shaping the “ivory” or metal and the beak. The bowmaker must replicate these approaches with likely different tools than the original maker used, and with exceptionally delicate materials. A tip repair also involves bonding materials that don’t like to stick together (this is particularly true with wood and mammoth or synthetic ivory).
If you can, please make sure to save any pieces of the tip, and bring them in with the bow for the repair!

There are a number of theories as to why it’s currently standard practice to use tip plates on bows, which came into usage around 1780, and have remained in standard usage ever since. They may mildly aid in protecting the wood of the bow, but it’s our best guess that they are used predominantly for aesthetic purposes. Below you can see two historic bows, both which were played for years without tip plates, and one is in almost immaculate shape, while the other is pretty chewed up.

Bow tips are beautiful, and are of course worth repairing. But the best repair is one that doesn’t need to happen. Please make sure to be aware of your surroundings when you’re playing, and if all else fails, we will be here to get your bow back into playing shape!

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