Johannes Finkel
Encyclopedia
Johannes Finkel is a Swiss maker of bows of violin
s, viola
s, cello
s, and basses.
The Finkel workshop is located in Brienz
, Switzerland
. Finkel is a fourth generation bow maker. His great-grandfather Ewald Weidhaas was a craftsman from the workshop of famous bow maker Victor Fetique
. His grandfather, Paul Weidhaas, and father Siegfried Finkel were also highly regarded bow makers.
Finkel’s bows are typically made of pernambuco wood
— an endangered hardwood — with an octagonal stick shape, and tend be closer in style to the German tradition of bow making. The bows display a “Swiss made” or “J.S. Finkel” stamp.
The Finkel workshop has also pioneered development in hybrid bows made from carbon fiber
and pernambuco.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
s, and basses.
The Finkel workshop is located in Brienz
Brienz
Brienz is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The village lies on the north bank of Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain.-History:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Finkel is a fourth generation bow maker. His great-grandfather Ewald Weidhaas was a craftsman from the workshop of famous bow maker Victor Fetique
Victor Fetique
Victor Francois FETIQUE was a prominent French Archetier / Bowmaker from a family of makers.Victor, son of Charles-Claude Fetique . Learned his craft in Mirecourt with Husson , Maline et Miquel .Later went on to work for Charles Nicolas Bazin II in 1901, before joining Caressa & Francais...
. His grandfather, Paul Weidhaas, and father Siegfried Finkel were also highly regarded bow makers.
Finkel’s bows are typically made of pernambuco wood
Brazilwood
Caesalpinia echinata is a species of Brazilian timber tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include Brazilwood, Pau-Brasil, Pau de Pernambuco and Ibirapitanga . This plant has a dense, orange-red heartwood that takes a high shine, and it is the premier wood used for making bows for...
— an endangered hardwood — with an octagonal stick shape, and tend be closer in style to the German tradition of bow making. The bows display a “Swiss made” or “J.S. Finkel” stamp.
The Finkel workshop has also pioneered development in hybrid bows made from carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
and pernambuco.