New Bagpipes

in progress..

Detail of carving on end of drone.

The raw material with chanter bore drilled..

The end of a new chanter in its rough stage..

Detail of carvings on top of chanter.

The transluscence of sheephorn used in the heel of the chanter.

The end of the chanter.

chanter stock

carving on applewood mouthpeice

blowpipe on sheephorn bound stock

carving on end of drones

I've been working on this set of bagpipes for a year and a half now . Still have the finish to put on parts of them (you can tell which pieces I've already finished)..I make my pipes out of Alaskan diamond willow. It's a beautiful wood and carries a fantastic tone for bagpipes. A more mellow tone than blackwood or other hardwoods carry.

 I do not use a lathe,but use all hand tools.The mouthpiece on the blowpipe I carved out of applewood grown right here at Clanskeep,its a good hardwood.

These pipes will be bound in Alaskan sheephorn (sheephorn rings on stocks and a sheephorn heel on the end of the chanter).

The bag for these pipes will be of buckskin with a black velvet cover. I make the reeds for the pipes. One full set of wood reeds goes with every new set of pipes I make.

 I'm a traditionalist when it comes to reeds,wood sounds the best, plastic reeds never sound right and wouldn't in these pipes either... I hope to have these finished soon, then I'll post them on the 'service page' with a price. Probably between $6000.00 and $9000.00 Will include a sound bite as well...Bill

click on the" New Bagpipes Update" tab at top  for progress report on these pipes.