I thought that I’d post this note to stimulate those of you with full sets, or interesting photos of historic full sets, to share photographs in this thread. Let’s focus on the mounts and the unity presented by the designs in this thread.
Here are a few views of some old regulator caps.
Kevin Rowsome’s Willie Rousome C#
Another Willie Rousome set
The Cummings Taylor set
Kenna
Robert Reid
Nice pics.
Mounting your pipes?
Sounds like the sort of thing that goes on somewhere in the background of a typical Hieronymus Bosch painting 
.
The subject reminded me of the old octopus joke, which is not fit for a family board… 
Peter, I imagine that you have some gems in your collection of photographs? Any that you could or would share?
David, that Kenna set of mounts is particularly interesting. We’ll have to consider an iteration of that design if nothing else of interest strikes our fancy. Got any scrap wood for a test turn of a few parts to see how they would look in 3-D?
Man, if this doesn’t make me salivate, I don’t know what would. You’re killing me with the build-up for this set, glands!
It’s obvious that I’m in the wrong profession, as I could barely afford the one set of pipes that I have (had to sell my old set, a concertina, several whistles, and various collectibles to buy the new one), much less pay for research and development! Let this be a lesson for those of you who are still in school: Don’t go into architecture if you’re looking to make tons of money.
Me…jealous?? You bet. And my one set is a K+Q 3/4 B set in pear, brass, and boxwood that would make others jealous.
So, back to the topic at hand: My set is featured on Patrick D’Arcy’s “extras” page, and there are some nice close-up shots of the mounts. You’ve probably already seen these images, but in case you haven’t, check out that page at www.uilleannobsession.com. David tells me that these turnings are inspired by the work of M. Egan. As a result of my education in modernist architecture and, therefore, my bias towards clean lines, I asked David for an aesthetic of understatement…in contrast to your beehive set, if you ask me. But it’s the reeds and the bores that matter, right?
Anyway, congratulations on the forthcoming set. I look forward to seeing/hearing it someday.
Travis
Lewis, I agree with you. While I like most of the photographs, my attention was particularly drawn to the Kenna mounts.
Jonathan
While they may not be gems…
Coyne B set
McPhee
This bottom set is R.Reid., and a real darling of a player.
Anyone know the location of any good pic’s illustrating the chanter architecture of that Kenna set?
And on another note, the regulator caps on Mr Hicks’s set:
Anyone notice how these mountings look very much like chess pieces? Very interesting, indeed… Lewis, Quinn, either of you play chess?
I could live with the one’s on Hick’s set… Not that I’m ever goning to get regs, much less figure out how to play them. Who has Hick’s? Is this a pipemaker, or someone who owns them? Or is that another fine example of K & Q workmanship?
By the way, congrats on being able to get yer own personal, one of a kind pipes, Lewis!!!
Travis Hicks - Piper and Owner of the pear, brass, and boxwood B 3/4 set. (someone else has the matching pear chanter, though - I have a plum wood B chanter, instead) Koehler + Quinn made the pear set as well as the plum chanter (not pictured).
I’ve never heard of that pipemaker McPhee.
Do you know anything about them.
Just curious, its a nice looking set.
Tommy
Chess pieces were turned by lathe, just like pipes, in the 1800s and still are today. Same materials as were used for pipes, too: boxwood, ebony, ivory. Knights are the exception; they have to be finished by hand and are often the piece with the most character in a set.
Here’s an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=12&item=3740528050&rd=1
I never heard about anyone ‘mounting their pipes’ but I wonder if anyone has ‘humped their chanter’?
What else you think the “banana chanter” was developed for???
That chess set is spectacular! I wonder if Kenna was involved in chess piece construction at all? Looking at this photo I wonder if he was inspired by such pieces or vice versa? The beehive set would certainly lead one to think so?
PD.
Lathe work was incredible in the 1800s. ‘Gentlemen’ in Victorian England used to own their own lathe as a hobby, before satellite sports, internet poker, etc.
McPhee lived in New Zealand, and mostly made Highland pipes. He cranked out a couple of copies of two local M. Egan sets, both of which had enormous “trumpet” style regulator caps. One belonged to a piper named Paddy Glavin, the other was made for a famous piper, John Couglan. This set passed on to Dan O’Dowd in Dublin, and is heard on the early Chieftains albums.
McPhee’s work was top-notch, when I saw a picture of it I couldn’t believe someone was turning out pipes like that in the 1950’s. Of course, who knows how good these pipes are as musical instruments.
Great pics, guys, keep 'em coming!
This is a shot of Peter Browne’s set. Anyone know what this is? These turnings are very simplistic in comparison, but very nice all the same.
