Ian Power Bows

Ian Power Bows I manufacture bows for the Swedish Nyckelharpa. My focus is on quality bows for a reasonable price made from sustainable materials. Jag pratar förstås svenksa

Bow rehairing and smaller repairs on Nyckelharpa on request.

13/09/2020

Boat season is ending and soon it will be time to get into the workshop and make some bows. In the meantime, everyone needs to help out in the current Covid-19 times so I have loaned my remic wireless mic to the Stockholm Royal Opera for a production.

If we are all in the same sinking boat and you have a bigger bucket - you share your bucket!


I'm having a short holiday with my partner. Exploring the Swedish countryside with our instruments and picking up local ...
30/07/2020

I'm having a short holiday with my partner. Exploring the Swedish countryside with our instruments and picking up local materials for my future bows.

Inspiration comes from many different sources out here.


On my way up to spend a few days getting some inspiration from my friend and mentor Peter “Puma” Hedlund.
30/06/2020

On my way up to spend a few days getting some inspiration from my friend and mentor Peter “Puma” Hedlund.

Yesterday was Sweden’s National Day so we travelled to Norrtälje to celebrate it by playing and singing with a bunch of ...
07/06/2020

Yesterday was Sweden’s National Day so we travelled to Norrtälje to celebrate it by playing and singing with a bunch of other like minded individuals.
It was also a chance for me to show Peter Hedlund a prototype of a bow that we have been designing together for the last 6 months. Peter builds instruments and he wanted me to supply bows to go with them, which are based on his main bow.
We have finally decided on a design and now I just need to spend some time in the workshop to get them done.
Watch this space.....

"x+1"There has not been much activity lately due to covid-19 restrictions and my other company being very busy getting b...
01/05/2020

"x+1"
There has not been much activity lately due to covid-19 restrictions and my other company being very busy getting boats ready for the season.
X+1 is of course the formula for how many instruments you should ideally have. X being the number you have already.

So on a rainy day, my partner and I drove 700km round trip to pick up a nyckelharpa from Kjell at nyckelharpsverkstan. With appropriate social distancing of course.

Kjell's instruments always have an even quality and are no frills instruments built by a mastercraftsman. I have played a few of his instruments and have always been impressed by their evenness and quality.

Now we own one and I can experiment with which bows work best with them. I think this instrument will need a heavier bow than I usually use to get the best sound.

So welcome to the family number 122. Christened by my partner as "Barbro" 😄

The Christmas tree is up in my flat and decorated with something that everyone needs😜Merry Christmas!
19/12/2019

The Christmas tree is up in my flat and decorated with something that everyone needs😜

Merry Christmas!



Onwards and upwards. New finishing techniques and a little bit more weight for my main prototype bow after recommendatio...
18/12/2019

Onwards and upwards. New finishing techniques and a little bit more weight for my main prototype bow after recommendations from Peter Hedlund



After a solid week of work in Santa's workshop, 3 bows are ready. Just in time for Peter "Puma" Hedlund to road test the...
14/12/2019

After a solid week of work in Santa's workshop, 3 bows are ready. Just in time for Peter "Puma" Hedlund to road test them.



“No wood is wasted”One of my main philosophies in building bows is sustainability. I use Alderwood because it is plentif...
13/12/2019

“No wood is wasted”

One of my main philosophies in building bows is sustainability. I use Alderwood because it is plentiful here in Sweden, and most of the material for the frogs comes from my friends’ gardens and is dried. I do have a small supply of ebony that a friend of mine gave me, after he found it in a bin at a woodworking course.

So I endeavour to try to use every scrap of wood - I have a box for bits. I then use these bits to make small things such as the buttons for the screws. I even save the ebony sawdust and mix it in with the glue. Glue it, turn it, then polish it and weigh it to make sure each bow has the right balance point.


A quick picture from Santa's workshop during my lunch break today:Frogs matched to their sticks ready for sanding, catal...
09/12/2019

A quick picture from Santa's workshop during my lunch break today:

Frogs matched to their sticks ready for sanding, cataloging and first layer of staining.

Tomorrow's job is to cut the mortices and do the final fitment of the frogs, weigh all the parts and then continue to work on the finish.

Hair will be going on on Friday for 3 bows ready for the weekend. The others will be ready for sale sometime next week.


Sunday evening work. Nice and quiet in the workshop making frogs. For me, the frog is the most time consuming but most i...
08/12/2019

Sunday evening work. Nice and quiet in the workshop making frogs.

For me, the frog is the most time consuming but most important part of the bow. It is the main contact point between the player and the bow.
All my frogs are hand carved. These models have my own asymmetrical design and a longer bottom section so that the knuckle of the thumb can rest comfortably on the frog rather than the hair. This gives more control, because it does not flex. The effective hair length remains the same and in fact, the player can use more of the hair because it is not covered in grease.

If you want to try one out, drop me a line and come past my workshop in Saltsjöbaden, Stockholm and grab a coffee.


Christmas is coming and it is time to get some work done.5 Einar bows in the process of being made. 1 Dragon nearly fini...
25/11/2019

Christmas is coming and it is time to get some work done.

5 Einar bows in the process of being made. 1 Dragon nearly finished and 1 Ruth in the process.

Get your orders in quickly before they get booked.


Adress

Norrtälje

Webbplats

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