Sometimes I am the bearer of bad news. Many bagpipes are thought to have been made by Henderson when in fact they were made by another company or by someone in the cottage industry of makers. A stamp stating “Peter Henderson Ltd.” may be present but don’t be fooled. These bagpipes are “Henderson” in name only. During the 1960’s the Henderson business and shop were in disarray. Owners refused to invest in repairs or replacements for tired or broken equipment. Orders far surpassed capacity so they were jobbed out to others. So, in the mid to late 1960’s and into the very early 1970’s you may have purchased a bagpipe stamped “Henderson” but closer study may reveal that it wasn’t made to Henderson specifications.
The following are examples of bagpipes made by Hardie and Lawrie that are stamped “Peter Henderson Ltd.” They will not sound or perform like a true Henderson. The Henderson bagpipes made in the shop under Greg Sharp’s tenure as manager are easy to identify and are outstanding in every respect. Equally so, those Henderson bagpipes made by the R.G. Hardie & Co. are faithful to classic Henderson specifications.
Otherwise it is possible to find bagpipes bearing the Henderson stamp that are absolute forgeries. A couple of years back information came to me indicating that forgeries were appearing bearing a Henderson stamp. I had the opportunity to personally inspect one such instrument and will attest to this.
Don’t be fooled by a stamp. They aren’t always reliable.
