Robert Reid was the most dominant piper in the world in the 1920’s and 1930’s winning some of the most prestigious piping contests over and over again. He also made bagpipes from 1932 to 1947. The first exhibit pictures here are a of a pipe that was presented to Stewart Galbraith, in 1947, by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reid.
Robert Reid was called the King of Pipers, and with good reason. His successes are well documented elsewhere so I will not repeat the obvious. It is interesting to note that his personal bagpipe was played using three bass drone stocks.
Both Willie Connell and Robert Hardie were students and worked in Reid’s shop. Robert Reid bagpipes can be found flat-combed and with wood mounts. The profiles are quite distinctive as is the beading and combing. It is not unusual to find the combing standing taller than the beading. It’s also not uncommon to find distinctive scribe lines at the bottom of the stocks and just beneath the cord-holders. Again, none of this occurred 100% of the time.
