Don Reinfeld, Bow Maker

Describing a bow's condition

from The Physical Condition of Bows

The descriptive terminology applied to bows now ranges from from the clinical to the comical. "Pristine, mint, stupendous, unplayed, immaculate, great, fabulous, extraordinary specimen" - these are just a few words I have heard used to describe a bow. Sharply rising prices for fine bows have undoubtedly stimulated this flourishing vocabulary, but the words often do more to obscure matters than illuminate them. For practical reasons, this mania for description ought to be minimized. True, many factors go into determining a bow's character and condition. But one ought to be able to analyze these and then assign any given bow to one of six general categories:

1. Mint: A perfect, virtually, unplayed bow. All parts are original, excluding hair and rehairing wedge [and plugs]. Examples are extremely rare, and this term should be used quite sparingly.
2. Excellent: A bow showing only subtle and minor deviations from mint, such as a changed head-plate, pearl eye, or wrapping in the style and material of the original. Minimal wear to any part must be fully described as an exception to perfect condition. There are only a few such examples by each maker.
3. Very good: A bow that is quite well preserved with all principal parts original, but showing discernible areas of wear. The bulk of specimens commanding the highest prices fall into this category.
4. Good: A usable bow that has been subjected to considerable use and therefore reveals "normal" wear. These examples are acceptable at "medium" prices for the player, but the discerning collector will often pass them up in favor of the above categories.
5. Serviceable: A bow generally not acceptable to the collector for aesthetic reasons but quite possibly serviceable for playing. These examples have not been adequately preserved in the artistic sense, and are generally quite worn or damaged. They should command only modest or minimal prices.
6. Interesting: A bow in poor condition that may not be playable but has value as an item of historical interest.

As a matter of practicality, I suggest that these terms be generally adopted by both experts and players. Using them would in no way diminish one's enthusiasm for a stupendous, immaculate, or pristine bow - but they might serve as a modest reality check on unverifiable or suspect claims.