Hello everybody! I am new to this forum and I would like to tell everyone that I am truly honored to be here. In regards to the Old set of Uilleann Pipe parts that recently sold for over $3,000 dollars on E-bay a couple of weeks ago I have some news for you. I had the chance to go and see them while I was in the Boston area. The Chanters looked like Patsy Browne and there were not in good condtion at all. They had alot of water and smoke damage. When I touched the chanters I had black smoke marks on my hand. There were some rumurs going around saying that the chanters were plugged and they were for show…not true, they were real chanters but they needed alot of work. As far as the other parts, the pipes look like old Rowsome but I couldn’t see any name on the stock. The pipes needed alot of work and there was some smoke and water damage to them. The lady who was selling them said she bought them at a yard sale and had no idea what they were. I hope who ever bought them is a player and not somebody who wants a conversation piece. O well good luck! Sean
Welcome to C&F
Water damage?? Having seen them first hand, do you think these pipes were in good enough condition to restore?
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http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=14021&highlight=epoxy&sid=85ab4039ece1d6b11f6233579bb2465d
To calm down Tony’s curiousity, the pipes looked as though they survived a fire. There was heavy smoke and water damage. I don’t know if they could be saved but I sure hope they can. I just hope that the person that bought the pipes will bring them to a pro and not try to do some back yard fixing themselves.
I just emailed Kevin Rowsome asking what became of his great grandfather’s pipes. Hadn’t thought to check with him, maybe they’re in a cupboard somewhere. Or maybe these are the set.
The Ebay set will be carefully restored, no worry. As long as the ebony’s still solid the grime can be cleaned off easy enough.
I’m sorry Kevin. I didn’t know that you knew all there is to know about uilleann pipes. All I have to say about the set is that it’s going to need alot of work and I hope it that it gets it…
I know the person doing the restoring and am confident he can do a good job on them. He has degrimed old pipes before.
Who is he?..Please let us know God Of All Knowing…is he from Texas?..Where.Who?..Do tell!!
I am.
Ok..if you are restoring the pipes.whats wrong with one of the chanters?
Dear irishpiper,
Irishpipes, as you are probably aware, have always carried a bit of mystique with them, and when someone implores the gods for more knowledge to remove such mystiques, why the little leprechaun gods get all the more mischievous.
But, just being an innocent onlooker 
who knows very little, or nothing of the details of this transaction…I offer this guess for you to ponder (and I may be wrong).
We think, because of the noted exchanges within the Trinity, that the new owner’s name is a gem. The restorer’s name is a nail (the smallest finish nail available). And the messenger’s real name is Dionys. 
It’s dirty.
Whatever…
Our only photo of Willie Rowsome with pipes is the one in ONeills, taken on ONeills trip to Ireland in 1906. That set has never been accounted for. According to ONeill, the set is an Egan copy and was made by Willie.
Kevin Rowsome does not have the set. When I called around, most people said that Willie did not make pipes in B, since one has never turned up. Everyone know about Pat Mitchells Willie Rowsome C set (no chanter) and the many Willie Rowsome concert D sets extant (6+), including Mick OBriens set that was secured through Dan Dowd’s connection with Tom Busby (that Wille Rowsome set had been in a pawn shop in NY and needed total restoration).
The eBAY set looks like the set in the Willie Rowsome photo and, indeed, appears to be the exact set (with some modifications on the bass reg). The baritone reg is 18" in length putting this set in B as the middle reg most often matches the chanter in length (also baritone reg reeds can sometimes be tried in chanters). There is NO water or smoke damage to the pipes. There is normal ‘grunge’ associated with pipes sitting around for many decades. These pipes are eminently restorable and. hopefully, will be soon.
For clarification, KJR has nothing to do with the eBAY transaction nor with the restoration of these pipes.
This is true, although I do hope to obtain the grime personally. I have some authenticated Patsy Brown reed staple verdigris.
I always thought they looked pretty much identical to the set Patrick Galvin [the New Zealand piper] has in the photograph.
The Galvin set is Egan; The Willie Rowsome set was styled after Egan. Mounts and drone bells are different. The Galvin depiction is artwork based off a photo. I do have the original photo somewhere - Shawn Folsom turned up the photo while down in New Zealand. Galvin’s pipes are in a museum down there.
The stock on the Willie Rowsome B set is totally distinctive (shamrocks). Every curlicue on the reg keys in the photo is in this set.
I have the photo too, Galvin has his hand on the stock so you can’t see that.
An article in an old Piobaire says the set in the photo is not the one in the NZ museum.
How about the mounts and the drone bells? Totally different to my eye.
They are different and Rowsome has the extra regulator, they are very similar though
I will be glade to talk to anybody about these pipes, for I have seen them firsthand. My number is 1-781-585-5279