Full instrument or only chanter, with or without reed…
Thank’s
N.
Go for full pipes from a good maker that you can access easily, its a life-long relationship, re reeds, ect, all the makers in your list are good but the french ones not so handy if you’re based in Britain. Hope that helps. 
Thanks for the advice Kernowpiper, in fact I already had low D pipes from Blanc (still got G pipes from him) and Durin (sold to buy other pipes like uilleann pipes…but now I miss my D Blanc pipes… 
).
Also, I can make my own drones, bag etc., a good friend make fantastic plastic reeds for french pipes so…
Does he sell them?
I’m interested…
No Michael,
In the past in think he accepted to sell some but not anymore as it is very hard to make good reeds without the chanter in hands. But he his supposed to show me, so when I’ll be able to, I will probably offer this service ! In that story, what is funny is that he live at 5 min. in car from my house, in the past, I had send my pipes in France to have new reeds, and last year, a friend said to me “Hey but don’t you know Guy, he makes very good pipe reeds !”…if I had known before, I shurely would’nt have send the pipes in Europe with all the inconvenients ands risks…
Nic
So he’s not in Europe (and you’re not, either)?
I make my own reeds but I’m not always happy with them - particularly the ones for low D and C.
Would your friend let me know what type of plastic he uses? (And if he does, I hope this will be available in my country…)
Exactly, we live in Québec province, french part of Canada.
I’ll talk to him soon and ask him about the kind of plastic but I think he developped and method wich uses almost any kind of plastic…and I must say it surprises me a lot as I talk to a lot of french pipe makers who use a specific plastic I can’t find here…
I made a number of Cornemuse years ago including one in D which I kept for myself. For reed I used cut and slightly modified oboe staples (using most of the staple for these low D ones) and would use the #6 plastic Yoplait Yogurt containers for the V shaped reed blades. I’d chop the to shape with razorblades, tie them on with waxed dental floss, using a few turns of #28 gauge grass wire to control the opening, and scraping these on 120 grit sandpaper until they played well. It took about 10-20 tries to get the hang of this. But then they stopped using Polystyreme for yogurt containers and the #2 or #5 used instead, rough recyclable, plays horribly or not at all. One can still get thin sheets of Polystyrene at hobby shops though - and it can be formed over heat. I think Taco Bell still uses it for their drink cups, though its a little too large diameter for cornemuse reeds.
Casey
Pipes found ! Superb set of Low D Swayne bellows pipes !
If there are any other sets or chanters in D out there… I’ve been looking for one for years.