A viola bow by David Samuels, silver mounted

Born in Chicago and raised in Israel, David Samuels began his career as a violin maker in the workshops of Amnon Weinstein in Tel Aviv and Etienne Vatelot in Paris. Samuels’ time in France nurtured his interest in bow making and led to his period of study with the celebrated archetier Stéphane Thomachot. This period was followed by time spent in the employ of Jacques Français in New York.

Remarkably, Samuels was awarded a gold medal at the Violin Society of America’s bow-making competition for his very first entry, a cello bow. He then went on to win six more gold medals for his violin, viola, and cello bows in subsequent VSA events, which earned him the designation “Hors Concours”, precluding his work from entry into any of that organization’s future competitions.

Samuels has served as the president of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers and on the VSA’s panel of judges. His bows are extremely sought after by musicians and are in the hands of elite violinists, violists, and cellists around the world

70.5g

Price range: £6,000 - £14,000