I have recently come into possession of an old set of blackwood Bagpipes and a blackwood practice chanter made by Charlie Smith of Aberdeen Scotland.
Only the chanters are stamped “C. Smith” below which is stamped “ABDN”, all in 1/16″ high letters – there are no markings at all on the rest of the pipes. These marks are very hard to see with the naked eye – I needed a 10x glass to read the markings clearly.
The style is old – akin to early Henderson in shape and flair / taper.
The stocks and drones have Nickel Silver ferrules, dark orange catalin mounts on all sticks – which could be from the early 1920’s or sometime thru the 1960’s – , the drone caps however are a mix of catalin/wood and just straight wood with a band where a nickel silver ring may once have been.
The stocks are mostly intact, only the blow-pipe stock has damage – a chip on the inner retainer ring. The stocks were held in place in the bag with waxed cord and the job was very neatly done.
2 of the drones will need repair or replacing – being cracked from shrinkage.
The pipes are not varnished – only lacquered / waxed.
The bag they came with was of heavy construction – very well made and of a good quality leather.
The pipes arrived in a very old “Composition” style suitcase made of a wire frame with stitched leather panels with a metal handle and brass locks – something out of the 1920’s / 30’s. It contained as well a Black Watch cap – old and faded and without a badge (but has holes where one once was) – along with 4 ft of faded and worn hand-spun tartan cloth 10 inches wide.
The drone cord was tied on the pipes using the same type of waxed thread as used to hold the stocks to the pipe bag – it had not been removed by the vendor who evidently didn’t know to look for a maker’s mark underneath and the bag cover is of the Stuart clan.
I suspect that the pipes may have been a family heirloom handed down from a father born in Scotland to a son who was born in or emigrated to Canada before being offered for sale at an estate auction once the son passed away in the interior of BC – but I have no confirmation of provenance.
———————– what I have found out about the maker ———————–
Charlie Smith was a member of the Aberdeen City Police pipe band. From when this band dates I am not sure but most likely 1920’s / 30’s
He had a bagpipe making workshop in Esslemount Avenue, Aberdeen.
His pipes seem to have a style more in common with “the Glasgow school” than “the Edinburgh school” of thought of that age of pipe-makers , despite Aberdeen being on the east coast.
His pipes often featured in the prize lists in local games such as the Buchan Gathering ( my Grandmother’s family) and guested on the “Piping & Fiddling” radio show.
His shop was known to have been in business in the 1930’s – probably prior.
Smith apparently supplied all the pipes and chanters to the “Inverurie Pipe Band “when it formed in 1957.
One of Charlie Smith’s sets of Pipes is still in Inverurie Scotland.
(the Inverurie Pipe Band switched to MacPherson of Edinburgh for supplies in 1958.)
Charlie Smith died in the 1950s, but the business was taken over by his son, also Charlie Smith – I’m not sure how long it continued.
