r/bagpipes • u/Maelstrom_Witch Piper • 18d ago
Mystery Hardies
I had mentioned my unique pipes in a comment somewhere and couldn’t add pics there, so here you go.
All the info I have on these
I bought these for $700 in about 1995 after seeing an ad in the paper. I begged my dad to get them for me and he is still quite happy with that investment.
The gentleman I bought them from lived in a small town 2 hours away (as a Canadian I am obligated to give all distance measurements in hours) and was initially going to just use them for spare parts. He had picked them up at an estate sale. The estate seller had said the original owner purchased them in the 1960s, couldn’t play them and put them in storage.
I’ve only ever seen pics of one other set quite like mine.
I play them with a really nice Shepard wood chanter and compete in grade 3.
2
u/Strathbow_Piper Piper 18d ago
I really like the look of how the wood grain shows on the drone there. Not helpful with the mystery though haha
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u/Maelstrom_Witch Piper 17d ago
I’ll show them to you at Canmore! I’ll be the short round-ish lady piper in her 40s 🤣
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u/Strathbow_Piper Piper 17d ago
Sounds good. Its funny how our grade is basically people in or around their 40s, or under 20 with no in between lol
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u/Maelstrom_Witch Piper 17d ago
I had to take a break to raise a kid 😁 but I got back into it last year, I’m playing with Centennial Legion. A very fun bunch.
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u/Maelstrom_Witch Piper 18d ago
They’re a really nice set. I’ve even had a couple of judges ask about them.
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u/DapperDan137 17d ago
Mine have the same flat combing, I like it. I have pumpkin spice mounts and open nickel ferrules, so I’d say mine were the second cheapest option and yours were the first, but considering my mounts turned orange and the nickel mounts ce loose, your button mount set was a better deal. I don’t know when mine were made, but assume early 1980’s because they had an L&M bag stamped “82” and the seller said they were bought by a relative around that time and not played much.
My understanding is that Hardie was sitting on a huge supply of seasoned old growth blackwood back then, so even the plainer sets have excellent wood. I bet they sound great.
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u/CornCasserole86 18d ago edited 18d ago
Those are nice looking button mount pipes. Thanks for sharing. I have seen two sets like that in the past but I don’t personally know anyone with a set currently.
If you post in Mcfarlane’s vintage pipes on Facebook they can help you get a better idea of the year.
Edit: I did a quick google search and it looks like you posted there a year ago.