tortoiseshell frames?

[sobranie]

this gentleman makes i would suppose anything you might desire....dont know the price tho...

bespoke frames



the rare frames section is interesting...

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by sobranie

this gentleman makes i would suppose anything you might desire....dont know the price tho...

bespoke frames
I think tortoise shell is a very specific material to work with so I don't believe any bespoke maker can do it. Also, I believe there are specific trade embargoes--all of the tortoise-shell makers seem to be either in France or Japan. However, I like some of his pieces; he also has vintage items.

 

[sobranie]

thanks ...i didnt really know much about the material or the trade embargo....

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by sobranie

thanks ...i didnt really know much about the material or the trade embargo....
Apparently Cuba has the largest store of hawksbill turtle shells. It was one of only two nations that didn't sign the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) agreement banning the sale of tortoise shells, the other being Japan. However, Japan later did sign the agreement which meant that Japan ceased being an active buyer. Japan was also Cuba's main client so that means the Cuban store has been growing steadily over the years. Some makers only use old sourced tortoise-shell items to make and restore things. Makers such as Maison Bonnet are apparently accorded a special permission to use pre-Washington Convention regulation (1974) stock.

 

[stilmacher]

I own a pair. They are a little difficult to get. There are two or three makers in Europe who make them from old, legal material. There is near to no way to get into legal posession of new tortoiseshell (not even in Cuba).

 

[Zegnamtl]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

Apparently Cuba has the largest store of hawksbill turtle shells. It was one of only two nations that didn't sign the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) agreement banning the sale of tortoise shells, the other being Japan..........

I recently photographed one of the top violin bow makers in the world.
He is down to a hand full of blocks of tortoise shell and then it is game over.
To see an older bow made from shell is a thing of beauty that Ebony can not approach, the next generation will never know due to our past abuses.

The best wood in the world for bows is found in Brazil, that too is joining the export banned list, what will the great violin players of the future have for bows?
If there is any oil left, perhaps plastic?

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Zegnamtl

I recently photographed one of the top violin bow makers in the world. He is down to a hand full of blocks of tortoise shell and then it is game over. To see an older bow made from shell is a thing of beauty that Ebony can not approach, the next generation will never know due to our past abuses. The best wood in the world for bows is found in Brazil, that too is joining the export banned list, what will the great violin players of the future have for bows? If there is any oil left, perhaps plastic?
That's interesting. It seems that while there are resources available--embargoed Cuban stock--legal difficulties prevents the stock from being used. While that's somehow frustrating on one level, it also provides the rarity factor that some seek. Is that also one of the factors that makes old bows expensive, that being new bows are made with scarce materials? I understand there are certain quality issues, but after reading that high-grade new violins are as good as the old ones, it seems that may be a negligible issue.

 

[LabelKing]

Is this the wood?

http://dountoothers.org/pernambuco.html

 

[maomao1980]

I bet some where in China, there is a warehouse full of shells...

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by maomao1980

I bet some where in China, there is a warehouse full of shells...
The Chinese have long been fond of tortoise-shell. In fact, it's been so prized that most Chinese people today are still aware of the material whereas the Americans or Europeans think it's just some color on a pair of sunglasses. I recently learned how they obtained the shell. Apparently the lowest layer, called blond shell, is the most valued. They used to catch the turtle and bake it where the layers would flake off. However, they did not kill it; instead they released it into the wild to recover and then they would catch it and bake it again and so on until the thing either died or they reached the blond layer. Blond shell:

 

[LabelKing]

Just got this fabulous item: extra large tortoise-shell comb with crocodile skin case lined in dark gold silk moire.

 

[Zegnamtl]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

That's interesting. It seems that while there are resources available--embargoed Cuban stock--legal difficulties prevents the stock from being used. While that's somehow frustrating on one level, it also provides the rarity factor that some seek.

Is that also one of the factors that makes old bows expensive, that being new bows are made with scarce materials? I understand there are certain quality issues, but after reading that high-grade new violins are as good as the old ones, it seems that may be a negligible issue.

The licensed bowmakers who have been dealing in Brazil for years have a grandfather clause. The next generation may have to search else where. Some are trying to set up a farm system just for bows, one out of 500 or so pieces will make an exceptional bow, the rest, purely average suitable for a high school kid.

This is of course, as told to me by the bow maker, I would not know a great piece of raw wood from a tooth pick ;-)