This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
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Sometimes, the makers of the past kept secrets. These secrets can be hard to unlock, even with the research tools available today. For traditional violin makers, one of those centuries-old mysteries is wood finish: How did those 17th- and 18th-century luthiers achieve such a legendary depth of gloss and color without obscuring or muddying the grain? Even as long ago as 1885, writers on the subject were lamenting the disappearance of the knowledge to achieve such lovely finishes.
In Issue Seventeen, luthier and 2023 M&T Craft Research Grant recipient Narelle Freeman delves into this question. Beginning with the many myths and legends that guarded the masters’ secrets, Freeman uses her own experience as a skilled luthier to explore the variables that come into play when finishing an instrument. As it turns out, the way that the surface of the bare wood is treated is paramount, and she examines the many varieties of tools and materials available in the past that might have played an integral part in the creation of the perfect violin finish. From horsetail grass to polissoirs to shark skin to scrapers, Freeman seeks after the best historical method for preparing an instrument to receive varnish.
And more broadly, Freeman writes about the value of pursuing the old ways and secrets. Calling them “the essence of our craft,” she makes the case that the value of utilizing old tools and methods goes beyond simply seeking information. Not only do these kinds of investigative processes stretch us in our abilities, but they rightly guide us to honor both the beauty of the materials we use as well as the brilliance of those who came before us.
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