I thought I’d start a thread about Mark because years back - I guess in the early '90s - when I first wanted to learn the pipes I got his name somehow and I called him to talk about ordering a set. He was a really nice guy and he took a lot of time to explain the whole thing about 1/2 sets and 3/4 sets etc… At the time my exposure to the instrument was extremely limited. We exchanged a few calls and I almost placed an order with him. I really wanted to but I didn’t have the money et cetera. When I finally got my stuff together a couple of years ago and decided to actually go through with this I looked high and low for him but I couldn’t find his number or anything so I ordered from Rogge instead. (whew- prices sure have gone up) Turns out Mark had stopped making pipes for awhile. It’s good to hear he’s getting things back up and running.
I phoned Mark last week, so here is an update
Mark did have a setback this past Thanksgiving. He was hit by a car and his ankle is broken, so put him on your prayer list for a speedy recovery.
He has his equipment sitting in his shop, but it isn’t wired up yet as he is still in cast and on crutches, so he forcasts that he will be able to start production again in the spring with all the spare time left over from the care of his two year old son.
I have heard rumors that he may be making/has made his son a set already. 
If you are a customer or have interest in his pipes, here is his contac t info:
Mark Hillmann
#5 Hilltop Road
Silver Spring MD 20910
Phone: (301)-587-9205
In October I spent a day with Mark. He was dead into remodeling his shop. It is in the garage at the house (his mother’s) he lives in. A stone building, with a slate roof. His shop has a wonderful Mylford (M7, I believe) and all the tools. Mark gave me an incredible deal on one of his chanters, and we spent the day tweaking the reed. He hauled out his wonderful 3/4 set and gave me a mini concert. He then hauled out the “legacy” set he is building for his son who is about 2 years old. Folks, you should see this set. Blackwood, reclaimed ivory and silver mounts …it is spectacular!!! Didn’t take him long and he had my practice set humming. My Hillman chanter w/ a reed by Benedict Koehler never sounded better.
This guy is an artisan with a big heart, and we became friends that day. I am the better for it.
Mark’s a good guy, I had a nice long phone chat with him once about pipemaking. He made a chanter top for Paddy Keenan once - silver, stop key, an inset onyx or some absurd gizmo. They tell me his pipes are the last word in loud, too, if you’re after volume.
Actually, the chanter he made, and that I have, is a very sweet sounding chanter. It is not particularly loud, and has a lovely tone.
When I got my I thought it was rather loud (and now I know all D chanters I have heard are loud) and it was louder than the chanter now is and hard D was non-existant.
The throat in mine measured 7/32" and the bell measured 0.522".
I ended up sleeving the throat with a 5 mm piece of brass tubing and a roll of paper, and then rushing just above the thumb hole with two light gauge guitar string rushes that measured 1-1/4" long when bent into a V shape.
That quietened it down to normal and brought out the hard D.
In fact, after hearing my friend play it just after his Quinn D, they sounded almost identical except for the tone of the hard D and the “ghostliness” of the ghost D.
See? Told you so.
Maybe he has different designs, or you might be ready for a trip to the audiologist?
I heard another story about Mark playing in a tent with 4 accordions, and he was louder than the four of them at once. HUHHHHH? WHHHATTTTTT?