I wrote to the seller but got a very nebulous reply . He is insisting that these pipes are not Pakistani. I think he may believe that these pipes are made by this maker in Northern Ireland. I think the set has all the give aways of a Pakistani set. The maker the seller claims made this set isn’t known for making Uilleann pipes but I may be wrong. certainly these pipes are NOT what the seller is claiming them to be.
From a while back on here.
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/half-sets-on-npu-website/11956/2
Looks like the auction has been pulled. Maybe the seller eventually got the message.
this person was a pipe major who played with general montgomery pipe band in northern ireland
Richard Parkes has been the Pipe Major of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band for a very long time. His band is one of the top competing pipe bands in the world. The highland pipe world, that is. He does not play nor make Uilleann pipes. I think this guy is just making it up as he goes along…
I think the quote that Elmek has sent gives us the clue as to where these pipes were made. Billy Roleston, from Annalong, Co.Down, was a big proponent of Brian Boru pipes. At one time, he apparently had some sort of sales responsibility for Henry Starck of London, who invented and made Brian Boru pipes. When Starck went out of business, it appears that Billy began to import Brian Boru pipes from Pakistan. Demand for these pipes was pretty much limited to Northern Ireland, where there are several bands that play them. I understand that Billy died some years ago. He had a small workshop at his home, but I do not believe he made whole pipes. I seem to remember he did some re-working of practice chanters to make up a type of smallpipe. It is thus likely that these pipes being discussed were made in Pakistan for Billy, and were then sold by him to someone in Northern Ireland without a lot of discussion as to their source.
Some ’ Made in Scotland’ practice set on eBay uk. Not sure how to post listing here. I don’t think they are legitimate. Opinions please
Hi Ben
If it is
it is a Bagpipes Galore practice set.
Bagpipes Galore Uilleann practice set
They are made in Scotland, so the ebay ad is correct.
If you fancy playing around with one, the best thing to do is call Bagpipes Galore and buy just the chanter, that is what I did. It will cost you around £70. It has a plastic reed that looks like
this
You can tweak it into tune, Uilliam did it with mine, but it sounds better with a cane reed. The plastic reed gives a pretty weak A note.
David
A half decent cane reed from a half decent reed maker is going to cost you £50, to fit a chanter from a good maker that should play. What sense is there in forking out £70 for this bit of fire wood, with a reed that cannot possibly play in any uilleann chanter.
Hi pipwort
Technically it is fire plastic rather than fire wood 
and the reed does play, admittedly not very well, in the chanter. (and others I tried it in.
David
I have a delrin UP chanter I got a few yrs ago from Canada I think. Plays fine with a proper reed. bit harsh as youd expect from such a reflective material but once set up its fine for learning. I made the reed so it cost nowt.
So who actually makes these chanters that are being sold by Bagpipes Galore?
The scalloped tone holes look a bit O Briain ish wonder if this chanter has been modeled on one of his or Gordon Galloway or Andy Fadens chanter designs.
If they play in tune I may get one as a spare for travelling etc.
Would like to know more.