The firm of J T Forbes offered Highland bagpipes in Dundee during the 1930’s and 1940s. Information regarding the bagpipe is scarce. Sets do appear from time-to-time, mostly identified by slender profiles and short nickel ferrules. Some sets of Forbes bagpipe are thought to have been made by Thow of Dundee or James Robertson.
The bagpipe at the very bottom (three pictures) came up for auction on EBAY. It is obvious that it was made by James Robertson and provides strong evidence that Robertson made bagpipes for Forbes. It is also worth noting that the wood used was not any of the exotic hardwoods generally used in the making of Great Highland Bagpipes. I first came into contact with this wood while restoring an Alexander Ross bagpipe, which was also made by James Robertson.
The pictures below are courtesy of Ross MacKenzie at Source Bagpipes. Ross indicated that the wood was “ironwood” which was a generic term for woods of heavy weight, density, and hardness. Complete with chanter stamped “J T Forbes Dundee” there can be no doubt that this came from James Robertson’s shop in Edinburgh.
