For over 20 years I have had in my posession a chanter made by Johnny Bourke and Dan O’Dowd. But it has taken until now that I have noticed a marking on the chanter cap.
I was cleaning up the aul’ squealers and I saw a marking on the underside of the plastic/fake ivory plug on the top of the chanter cap.
It said “R 17”
Anyone else out there with Bourke / O’Dowd chanters with similar markings.
It could be something that was just on the plastic too.
Anyone.
Tommy
Interesting. David Quinn and Benedict Koehler often use the R to designate Rowsome and the following number to indicate the year of the original make the design was based on before modification. For example, their R21 model (now evolved to an R21.1) was based on a Willie Rowsome chanter made in 1921. I wonder if this chanter is a copy of a Willie Rowsome chanter made circa 1917. It is one potential explanation…
Thats very interesting Lewis.
I’m guessing its not a Rowsome copy only because the bore is quite wide. Although some eminent pipe makers offered the explination that the sizeable bore was just a mistake and the reamer was sent to far up the chanter. This theory would explain a lot including Lewis’ theory.
By the way, sorry to hear about the Land Rover and the forced sale.
Tommy.
I am assuming that by underside of the cap you mean, you have taken the cap off and that’s where the numbers are. I cannot get the cap off (that is I don’t want to try too hard) of my Bourke.
I guess it’s let the mystery be…
t