Kevin, no problem be as snippy as you wish to be.
From my monitor, I couldnāt see if the bottom hole was original or an abandoned attempt at drilling a new one. Doesnāt it look a like a forestner (sp) bit went in 1-2mm and then partly filled with black wax (or melted cheese)?
The holes arenāt aligned and the scallop seems to be more centered on the upper holeā¦ at the time that was my indication the top hole may have been the original. Enlarging the picture does show a slight rim around the edge of the upper hole indicating it came later.
Altering a chanter in a non-reversable way to suit a reed or a particular style of reed is almost always a bad idea. I cannot defend it. It shows a lack of respect for the maker & a lack of imagination & skill in reedmaking technique.
But I have made some good reeds over the years for sympathetic chanters (Lambe chanters not among them) using staples from tubing and in what is basically Tim Brittonās style. Tim gave me my first lesson in reedmaking many years ago. The chanters I make are designed to use tube staples.
Over the years I have come to the conclusion that tube staples work fine for some chanters but not for all. If I can Iāll go with a tube staple because they are much easier to make, and, with a tubular reed seat, are lots easier to move up & down in the chanter for tuning purposes. I can also insert short pieces of the next size smaller tube into the staple if I need to put a ārushā in it.
Nick Whitmer
SOLD! - $3,662.26!!