LET THE FLOWERS BLOOM

A very specialist part of the bow maker’s craft is the addition of decorative inlay into a bow frog. Vladimiros Sorokin-Andreou presents his method for this intricate and delicate part of the process

In the past, I have been approached by both craftspeople and musicians asking me to explain how I add decorative inlay to bow frogs in the style of Christian Wilhelm Knopf (see page 57). I do not know the precise reason why such great bow makers as Knopf and Étienne Pajeot began to adorn their bows with decorative elements; I can only begin to guess. For me, there came a time when I felt the need to add a layer of individuality to my bows, which was when I received the following message from the New York-based violinist Aaron Feldman: ‘Among all of my Monomax bows I have a favourite. That is the elegant grapevine inlaid bow (I’ve nicknamed it ‘Bacchus’). It has a unique sound.’

Thus began my first foray into custom frog decoration. Not everything worked, and certainly not on the first try. Some techniques only began to make sense to me after I had ruined a number of good frogs. With the help of this trial-anderror method, I eventually gravitated towards a process of frog decoration with inlaid design elements that proved optimal for me.

Stencils

1 Following the initial sketching and design selection process, I create a stencil that I will use to transfer the ornament to the frog. White carbon paper can also be used, but I prefer stencils, due to their ability to be re-used multiple times.

Preparation for the mother-of-pearl detailing

ALL PHOTOS VLADIMIROS SOROKIN-ANDREOU

2 The detailed pieces for each of the designs are cut from mother-of-pearl plates and stored in separate plastic bags for future use. I prepare these in batches.

Typical tools

3 For the work described, I use the tools shown here. These include a micro drill, jewellery mini burrs of various diameters, chisels, sandpaper, and abrasive and emery grinding wheels.

4a Design transfer on the top

4b Drawing mark-up

4 Then I place the stencil on top of the new frog and, with a white marker, highlight the assigned area for the inlay design.

Outlining the mother-ofpearl parts

5 Next, I place the inlay design elements on the frog and etch the outlines with a needle or a sharp scalpel.

6a Drilling the setting place

6b Levelling with a chisel

6 I then carefully remove the wood from the surface area with a drill and finish it with a chisel. During the process, any excess ebony powder is collected and stored. It will come in handy in the future.

The mother-of-pearl details are added

7 Here we can see the parts of the inlay  in the dedicated area, fixed in place with the help of regular super glue. 

8a Filling voids with powder

8b Smoothing the mother-of-pearl details

8 Once all the inlay parts are installed, I inspect the working area for any tiny gaps. These are then filled with a mixture of the ebony powder and glue. Any excess powder and glue can be removed later with a knife, once the glue has dried. 

9a Drilling holes

9b Part installation

9c Gluing the elements

9 Using a drill bit of the correct diameter, I drill a hole perpendicular to the surface of the frog. Then I attach the parts using super glue.

10a Rough processing of parts

10b Surface sanding

10 Once all the mother-of-pearl parts have been inlaid, I polish each of them with various attachments for the micro drill. 

11a Drawing restoration

11b Drilling grooves for plates

11 Using a marker, I redraw the outlines and etch the channels for the silver inlay elements.

Preparation of silver plates

12 Excess bits of silver are usually left over after making a bow. When these run out, I cut the silver inlay ornament details needed from silver plates. These parts measure 0.1–0.15mm thick and 1.5–2.0mm wide.

Smoothing the plates

13 I then affix the silver parts in the designated area with the help of glue. They protrude only slightly. It’s essential that any work required to affix the silver inlay design elements should be done only after all work with the mother-of-pearl inlay parts has been completed.

14a Gluing the plate elements

14b Filling the voids with powder

14 Once the silver inlays are in place, I inspect the inlay area for any tiny gaps, and fill them with the ebony powder and glue.

15a The finished frog

15b The finished bow

15 The installed parts of the inlay ornament are then finished with a file, and subsequently sanded and  polished to achieve the final product. This method has worked for me and will work for you too!