James Hutcheon was born in Edinburgh in 1823. He first appeared in the Edinburgh classified directory in 1856 as a turner. It was not until 1887 that he appeared in the directory as a Bagpipe Maker. It is reasonable to conclude that he was in the employ of one of several bagpipe makers in and around Edinburgh until opening a business for himself.
I have restored a few Hutcheon bagpipes and came away wondering why every nickel ferrule was slightly unique in size. The quality of nickel was poor and of a thin gauge. They were also formed and soldered from a flat piece and pinned into place. Still I found the overall quality of the instrument quite good.
I have restored a few Hutcheon bagpipes and came away wondering why every nickel ferrule was slightly unique in size. The quality of nickel was poor and of a thin gauge. They were also formed and soldered from a flat piece and pinned into place. Still I found the overall quality of the instrument quite good.
James Hutcheon
